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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 8th October 2014
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Cats adapt their behaviour to suit 21st century life
cat
The research aims to find out more about the way cats deal with sharing territory and challenges in their environment.
Research by the BBC and RVC finds cats are evolving

Cats are changing their behaviour to adapt to life in the 21st century, according to research by the BBC and Royal Veterinary College (RVC).

A new three-part BBC Two Horizon programme, Cat Watch 2014, aired for the first time on October 7. Reporting on the programme, the BBC says cats are learning to time-share territories with other cats, communicate better with their owners and kill less prey.

Richard Harvey, a PhD student at the RVC's Structure and Motion Laboratory, said: "It was really eye-opening to see the effect our cramped urban environments are having on the domestic cat, not only in terms of their reduced territory and ranging behaviour, but also on the occurrence of conflicts between cats forced to share ranges with multiple others."

The series compares the habits of city cats, farm cats and village cats in a bid to find out more about the way they deal with sharing territory and challenges in their environment.

"It was just incredible to see how different they were," said Mr Harvey. "The biggest difference was between the farm cats and the city cats. It was striking just how far the farm cats would travel and the areas they would cover compared to the relatively tiny distances the majority of the city cats covered."

For the research, the RVC used miniature versions of tracking collars designed to observe hunting behaviour in cheetahs, lions and leopards in South Africa. The adapted collars were attached to 100 cats for the college's latest research.

Mr Harvey added: "GPS collars designed and built by the RVC were used to interface with and trigger the ‘cat cam’ cameras, allowing us to capture some ground breaking footage of cat behaviour and interactions from previously unseen perspectives."

The final episode of Cat Watch 2014 will air tonight (Thursday, October 9). It will be shown on BBC Two at 8pm. The first two episodes are available on BBC iPlayer.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.