Potential Causes of Increased Vocalisation in Elderly Cats with Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome as Assessed by Their Owners

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) is an age-related cognitive deterioration that presents with specific behavioural changes that after thorough investigation cannot be attributed to any other medical condition. Inappropriate vocalisation, especially at night, is one of the behavioural changes in cats with CDS; however, no studies have investigated the potential causes of this distressing behaviour. In this study, owners of cats diagnosed with CDS that presented with increased vocalisation were invited to complete an online survey. The survey consisted of 28 questions including the cat’s signalment, its medical history, and questions pertaining to the owner’s perception of what motivated their cat’s increased vocalisation. Out of 37 responses, the majority of owners reported that the main cause of their cat’s vocalisation appeared to be disorientation (40.5%) or attention seeking (40.5%), followed by seeking a resource such as food (16.2%), and pain (2.7%). Moreover, the majority of owners (64.8%) believed there was >1 cause of their cat’s increased vocalisation. It is important to understand these behavioural changes in cats, especially from the owners´ perspective, as they develop with increasing age and can be distressing to the cat and its owners, potentially influencing their relationship. ABSTRACT: The objectives of this study were to explore owner perception of the causes of increased vocalisation in cats diagnosed with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) and consider what impact this vocalisation may have on the cat’s household. Owners of cats diagnosed with CDS that presented with increased vocalisation were invited to complete an online survey. The survey consisted of 28 questions including the cat’s signalment, its medical history, and questions pertaining to the owner’s perception of what motivated their cat´s increased vocalisation. This was determined by looking at the cat’s behaviour when vocalising, where it was looking when it was vocalising, and if the vocalisation stopped when the owner interacted with it, e.g., petting or feeding it. The owners were also asked how stressful they found their cat’s vocalisation. There were 37 responses. The majority of owners reported that the main cause of their cat’s vocalisation appeared to be disorientation (40.5%) or attention seeking (40.5%). Seeking a resource such as food was reported in 16.2%, and pain was perceived to be the cause in only 2.7% of cats. However, the majority of owners (64.8%) believed there was >1 cause of their cat’s increased vocalisation. Importantly, when owners were asked how stressful they found their cat’s increased vocalisation, 40.5% scored ≥3 (where 1 = not stressful; 5 = significantly stressful). This study provides novel insight into owner perception of feline CDS, as well as potential causes for increased vocalisation; this will allow veterinarians to better advise owners on how to manage their cat with CDS.