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Using of environmental enrichment for cats bred like pets
Benešová, Lucie ; Gardiánová, Ivana (advisor) ; Jan, Jan (referee)
Environmental enrichment includes various forms of mental and physical stimulation.
It is one of the ways how to improve the life of the animals in a breeding facility, a zoo or home. The appropriate form of enrichment can help reduce or even eliminate problem behavior, and in some cases even behavioral problems. Enrichment can be divided into 5 types - social, occupational, physical, sensory and nutritional enrichment. For cats and felids is suitable nutritional (feeding) enrichment and sensory enrichment. The nutritional (feeding) enrichment and sensory enrichment is the most suitable for cats and felids. The other three types of enrichment can also be enriching. The aim of the thesis was to describe the possibilities of environmental enrichment for cats bred in captivity, primarily focusing on domestic cats. The thesis also includes a chapter about enrichment for zoo animals (both large and small felids) and for domestic cats which live in shelters. In addition to the theoretical part, questionnaire for interviewees (cat breeders) which contained several questions concerning breeding cats, knowledge of the term enrichment and the use of environmental enrichment by cat breeders was also prepared. During which some interesting results were found. Most interviewees keep cats in the household as a companion (85 %), only 15 % of respondents leads kennel. Most respondents keep cats without certificate of origin (pedigree) and only less than 30 % have a registered cat with the certificate. Most of the breeders keep the cats at least 3 years (75 %) and only 25 % keep the cats less than three years. Over 66 % of the breeders own more than one cat. More than 58% of cats are kept indoors only and a additional 10% of cats are kept indoors with access to enclosed outdoor aviary, only less than 19% of cats have unlimited access outside. More 66% of responders have another pet (e.g. dog, rodents, reptiles, fish, parrot). Regarding the knowledge of the term enrichment as such most of the interviewees did not know the meaning of the term enrichment (only 29 % knew the meaning). However, it was found based on answers of additional questions that a significant number of interviewees use the enrichment (over 43%). Over 21% of breeders are using social enrichment, 21% physical enrichment, almost 6% nutritional enrichment, more than 1% of breeders use occupational enrichment and only 0.8% use sensory enrichment.
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