The effect of a putative pheromone on the behavior of rescued big cats in a sanctuary, before and after a transition into a new enclosure
2025
Svensson, Victoria
The putative F3p pheromone is commonly used and sold as a tool to reduce unwanted and abnormal behaviors in cats. Therefore, this study assessed the effect of the putative F3p pheromone on the behavior of big cats and if it could reduce stereotypic behaviors when transitioning from an old to a new enclosure. Behavior sampling with instantaneous recording was used to collect data during test- and control periods, alternating according to a pseudo-random schedule. During the test periods the animals were sprayed with the putative F3p pheromone and during the control periods with water. The study was conducted on four big cats (nLion = 3 and nTiger = 1) living at FELIDA Big Cat Sanctuary. The results showed no significant difference for the stereotypic behavior category when transitioning between the old and new enclosure during the pheromone treatment. However, for one lion a significant increase was found for the stereotypic behavior category when transitioning between the old and new enclosure during the water control. Additionally, across the whole observation period there was a significant increase for the behavior categories inactive, active, vocalizations, maintenance, other and explorative, where behaviors significant result depended on individuals and spray types. Previous studies show varying results, where some studies are consistent with the present study, and some are not. These findings highlight the importance of further research to fully understand the effect of the putative F3p pheromone on cat behavior and if it can be used as a tool to alleviate stressful transitions.
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