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 took place between November 1, 2023, and April 5, 2024, with 746 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. Research suggests the addition of cat dens enabled cats to engage in species-specific enrichment activities, including hiding and stretching, which significantly lowered the risk of contracting URI compared to the control group. Cats with dens had a 33.7% lower incidence of URI than those without dens. Meanwhile, cats with URI were 27.2% less likely to be adopted at any given time when compared to cats without URI, regardless of den presence. This study was conducted via a unique collaboration model between Humane Colorado, EpiXAnalytics, Morris Animal Foundation, and EveryCatHealth Foundation. 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
