Literature review
There is a real lack of research into CDS in cats and , although well established in dogs , formal diagnostic criteria for CDS in cats are lacking [ 2 ] . As many medical problems present with similar behavioural changes , the diagnostic process for CDS is one of exclusion [ 13 ] .
There is a tool that can be used for the diagnosis of CDS in dogs , with the acronym DISHAA , which was developed using clinical signs of Disorientation ; altered social Interactions ; altered Sleep – wake cycles ; House soiling and loss of other learned behaviours ; altered Activity levels ; and increasing Anxiety [ 2 ] . Sordo and Gunn-Moore [ 4 ] state that for this tool to be applicable to cats , it needs to be adapted . They propose a new feline version with the acronym VISHDAAL , which encompasses excessive Vocalisation ; alterations in Interactions ( e . g . increased affection ); changes in the Sleep – wake cycle ; House soiling ; Disorientation ; alterations in Activity levels ; Anxiety ; and Learning and memory loss [ 4 ] .
The aim of this project was to look at potential barriers to elderly cats with behaviour issues associated with CDS receiving treatment or management strategies . Therefore , research looking into owner attitudes towards feline behaviour issues ( mainly owner compliance when implementing a treatment plan ) was also considered . Casey and Bradshaw [ 14 ] looked at owner compliance in a study of 85 cat owners implementing a treatment plan at home . Their study confirmed that owner compliance is an important factor in treatment outcomes for cats with behaviour issues .
Euthanasia due to behavioural issues is also an important element of the study , as this is based on owner attitudes towards their cat ' s behavioural issue . Given that house-soiling behaviour was the biggest factor for euthanasia in relinquished shelter cats in the USA ( 72 % of cats euthanised [ 15 ] ), there is a need for an analysis of owner attitudes towards a cat displaying behavioural signs linked to CDS . If between 4 and 9 million cats are euthanised every year , this could be more than 10,000 cats each day [ 15 ] . VSs can help to lower this number by providing owners with effective treatments or ways of managing the clinical signs . Determining whether VSs are offering owners the full range of treatment options is also key to understanding the potential barriers to treatment for cats with CDS .
There are various studies and papers on the diagnosis , treatment and management of CDS in cats , as well as studies and papers on owner compliance with cat behaviour-modification treatment plans , but not a study considering both . Based on the literature available , it was clear that there was a need for a study looking at potential barriers to the treatment and management of behaviour issues in senior cats and cats with CDS .
Hypotheses
The aim of the study was to prove or disprove the following hypotheses :
• H1 0 – CDS in cats is not underdiagnosed or undertreated . There is not a lack of veterinary understanding and education about this disease .
• H1 – CDS in cats is underdiagnosed and undertreated . The contributing factors to this are lack of veterinary understanding and education about this disease .
• H2 0 – Owner attitudes and compliance towards senior cats with behaviour issues do not impact on the treatment and management offered .
• H2 – Owner attitudes and compliance towards senior cats with behaviour issues impact on the treatment and management offered .
Materials and methods
Participants
Participants were invited to complete a survey . Criteria for completing the survey were that the respondents must be a practising VS in the UK or Ireland and they must have been presented with a cat over 8 years old with a behavioural issue for a consultation within the past 2 years . Participants were asked to complete the survey only if they were practising in the UK or Ireland to ensure consistency in the treatments available . The survey was posted on social media in a number of groups for veterinary professionals , between 17 December 2021 and 3 February 2022 . In total , 95 VSs completed the survey .
Survey design
The survey was designed with a mixture of openended questions , multiple-choice check-box questions and closed questions . Several types of questions were used to provide multiple data types for analysis . Check-box questions ensured that all answers would fit into categories and could be used to run tests for correlations and differences . Open-ended questions enabled longer answers , avoided prompting the VSs with particular answers and minimised response bias [ 16 ] .
VSs were asked to use a particular cat or case to answer all of the questions . Each question related to the diagnosis and treatment of this particular case .
The survey was designed to identify the clinical signs the cat presented with ; the diagnosis given by the VS ; the treatment or management options the VS had offered this cat ; whether the owners were compliant
16 Veterinary Nursing Journal