Find the complete study in the Journal of Shelter Medicine & Community Animal Health An estimated 2.9 million cats entered shelters across the U.S. in 2024. Feline upper respiratory infection (URI) is common in animal shelters, which can cause delays in adoption, welfare concerns, and increased costs for the shelter. To help reduce the impact of URI in our shelter cat populations, we conducted a study to determine if the presence of a consistent hiding den (i.e., feral den) throughout a cat’s time in the shelter reduces URI incidences. The pragmatic randomized controlled trial between November 1, 2023 and April 5, 2024 with 2,799 cats split between two cohorts – a control group of cats who received the usual standard of care with no den, and the den group – cats who received a cat den and the usual high standard of care. The addition of cat dens allowed cats to engage in species-specific enrichment activities that shelter environments don’t typically provide due to their size, including hiding and stretching, significantly lowering the risk of contracting URI when compared to the control group. Learn more about our findings in the Journal of Shelter Medicine and Community Animal Health. Ready to build a more humane Colorado? Join us! Donate today. Share Facebook TikTok Instagram
