Analysis of illness and length of stay for cats in a foster-based rescue organization compared with cats housed in a cat café

Abstract

The advent of the cat café provided an alternative way for cat rescue organizations to potentially increase visibility, interaction, and adoption of their animals. This environment came with its own costs—lack of regulation, high turnover rate in feline population, and daily exposure to a changing human population. The goal of our study was to compare the frequency of sickness, length of stay, and the effect of behavioral and medical observations made by staff on a cat's length of stay of 797 cats in a foster-based rescue organization and their affiliated cat café. Housing status (foster care or cat café) was significant (P = 0.03), indicating cats in the cat café have a significantly higher frequency of sickness compared with the foster care cats. The mean length of stay for cats in foster care was 21.52 days (median 13 days) and the mean length of stay for cats in the cat café was 23.06 days (median 16 days), indicating a longer length of stay for café cats. The length-of-stay model was statistically significant (P = 0.039) and indicates that sex and housing status were among the significant variables. Foster care cats were adopted faster than the café cats (P = 0.044) and male cats were adopted significantly faster than female cats (P = 0.004). Kittens (under six months) had a significantly shorter length of stay than adults (greater than 6 months, P < 0.001). In the cat café, negative behavioral comments and negative medical comments, as assessed by the cat café employees, were significant (P < 0.001) in determining length of stay. Negative behavioral and medical comments were associated with a longer length of stay, by an average of 0.928 days and 0.939 days for each additional negative comment, respectively. This information could guide rescue organizations in identifying and acting upon sickness behaviors in cats (to limit spread and improve welfare), to determine optimal housing for decreased length of stay, and to improve visibility to those cats who have longer lengths of stay such as adult cats, female cats, and those with behavior or medical concerns.