Cat Mortality in Shelters

Murray, J. K., E. Skillings, et al. (2008). "A study of risk factors for cat mortality in adoption centres of a UK cat charity." Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery 10(4): 338-345.


In the United Kingdom, there are many animal charities that shelter and re-home cats. Cats Protection, the largest cat-only animal charity in the UK, re-homed about 60,000 cats in 2005. Risk factors for mortality in UK shelters have not been previously studied, and may be applicable to similar animal shelter situations elsewhere in the world. A case-control study was used to examine variables associated with mortality. Retrospective data was collected for 194 cases and 320 control cats. An increased risk of mortality was discovered for cats admitted to shelters unneutered, in fair or poor health, and for cats born at shelters. Kittens under 7 weeks of age and cats over 7 years of age had an increased risk of mortality compared to other age groups. Cats with disabilities also had an increased risk of mortality. Knowledge of risk factors contributing to mortality in shelters can help focus intervention strategies aimed at reducing risk.
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Related articles:
Cave, T., H. Thompson, et al. (2002). "Kitten mortality in the United Kingdom: a retrospective analysis of 274 histopathological examinations (1986 to 2000)." Vet Rec 151: 497-501.
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Bannasch, M. and J. Foley (2005). "Epidemiologic evaluation of multiple respiratory pathogens in cats in animal shelters." J Fel Med Surg 7(2): 109-119.
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Are Dry Foods Harmful for Cats?

Buffington, C. A. (2008). "Dry foods and risk of disease in cats." Can Vet J 49(6): 561-3.

In this Special Report, Dr. Tony Buffington of Ohio State University reviews some of the issues surrounding feeding dry food diets to cats. One of the biggest concerns is a possible relationship between the carbohydrate content of dry foods and risk of obesity and diabetes mellitus. Cats do metabolize dietary carbohydrates different from other species, although this may or may not make dry diets unsuitable for them. Recent research challenges the belief that obesity and diabetes mellitus are diet-induced diseases in cats. Factors that are receiving attention include indoor confinement, lack of activity, and feeding patterns. Environmental, developmental and genetic factors are also likely to play a role. Educating owners about providing an enriched indoor environment should be an important focus for veterinarians.
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Related articles:
Backus, R. C., N. J. Cave, et al. (2007). "Gonadectomy and high dietary fat but not high dietary carbohydrate induce gains in body weight and fat of domestic cats." Br J Nutr 98(3): 641-50.
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Avian Influenza in Cats

Marschall, J. and K. Hartmann (2008). Avian influenza A H5N1 infections in cats. Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery 10(4): 359-365.

While influenza types B and C are mainly human pathogens, type A viruses are pathogens in many mammalian species including humans and birds. The avian influenza viruses may cause subclinical infections or serious disease, depending on their pathogenicity. Influenza A subtype H5N1 causes serious disease in poultry and can cross species barriers and infect humans as well as other species. Although cats had been considered resistant to disease from influenza virus infection, domestic cats and large felids are now known to be naturally and experimentally susceptible to infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1. Infected cats may have subclinical disease, or may have fever, depression, and dyspnea. Most cats are infected by direct contact with infected birds, especially eating raw poultry. It is possible that cat to cat transmission may occur. Unfortunately, little is known about the role of cats in the epidemiology of this virus. This review focuses on the current state of knowledge with a focus on practical aspects for veterinarians.
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Related articles:
Marschall, J., B. Schulz, et al. (2008). "Prevalence of influenza A H5N1 virus in cats from areas with occurrence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in birds." Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery 10(4): 355-358.
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Marschall, J., B. Schulz, et al. (2008). "Evaluation of a point-of-care influenza antigen test for the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus in cats." Transbound Emerg Dis 55(7): 315-7.
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Risk of Anesthetic Death for Cats

Brodbelt, D. C., K. J. Blissitt, et al. (2008). "The risk of death: the Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Small Animal Fatalities." Vet Anaesth Analg. 2008 May 5

The objective of this prospective study was to estimate the risks of anesthetic and sedation-related mortality in small animals in the United Kingdom. All small animals anesthetized and sedated at 117 veterinary practices between June 2002 and June 2004 were included. Patient outcomes at 48 hours were recorded. An anesthetic or sedation-related death was one where surgical or pre-existing medical problems did not solely cause death. In total, the records of 79,178 cats were evaluated. The overall risk of anesthesia or sedation-related death within 48 hours of the procedure was 0.24% and was higher than that for dogs (0.17%). The risk for healthy cats was estimated to be 0.11%, again higher than that for dogs (0.05%). The risk for sick cats was 1.40% (versus 1.33% for sick dogs). Postoperative deaths accounted for 61% of the cat deaths (versus 47% for dogs). The researchers conclude that small animal anesthesia appears to be increasingly safe, and that greater care in the postoperative period could reduce mortality.
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Related articles:
Brodbelt, D. C., D. U. Pfeiffer, et al. (2007). "Risk factors for anaesthetic-related death in cats: results from the confidential enquiry into perioperative small animal fatalities (CEPSAF)." Br J Anaesth 99(5): 617-23.
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Survival of Cats with Kidney Disease

Boyd, L. M., C. Langston, et al. (2008). "Survival in Cats with Naturally Occurring Chronic Kidney Disease (2000-2002)." Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 22(5): 1111-1117.

Up to 20% of cats will be affected with chronic kidney disease (CKD) during their lifetime. The prevalence of CKD increases with age, so that almost 1/3 of cats over the age of 15 years are affected. The disease has unpredictable progression and variable presentation, making it difficult to perform long-term survival studies. The International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) has developed a classification scheme for CKD in dogs and cats that is often used in long-term studies. The purpose of this study was to determine the average survival time for a large populatoin of cats from a facility that sees both first and second opinion cases, and to determine if the IRIS stage at diagnosis and after correction of pre-renal azotemia are associated with survival time. The study population consisted of 211 client-owned cats enrolled between April 2000 and January 2002. Clinical characteristics, clinicopathologic data, and survival times were extracted from the medical records. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were performed to determine survival times. Median survival for cats in IRIS stage IIb at the time of diagnosis was 1,151 days, and was longer than survival in stage III (median 778 days) or stage IV (median 103 days). The researchers conclude that IRIS stage of CKD based on serum creatinine at the time of diagnosis is strongly predictive of survival in cats with naturally occurring CKD.
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Related articles:
Syme, H. M., P. J. Markwell, et al. (2006). "Survival of cats with naturally occurring chronic renal failure is related to severity of proteinuria." J Vet Intern Med 20(3): 528-35.
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Elliott, J., J. M. Rawlings, et al. (2000). "Survival of cats with naturally occurring chronic renal failure: effect of dietary management." J Small Anim Pract 41(6): 235-42.
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