Unacceptable elimination is a common and frustrating feline behavioural complaint and, when expressed as a repetitive and rigid ritual, it may resemble a pattern of compulsive-like elimination. This retrospective case series reviewed medical records from a single veterinary behaviour service (July 2020-July 2025) to describe cats with longstanding unacceptable urination showing caregiver-reported compulsive features (repetitiveness, redundancy, and rigidity) and to compare outcomes between behavioural modification alone (group B) and behavioural modification plus clomipramine (group C). Twenty-one cats met the inclusion criteria (C, n = 11; B, n = 10) after relevant medical causes had been excluded via physical examination and laboratory testing. Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups, including age, sex distribution, and interval between onset of clinical signs and initiation of therapy. Clinical outcome and time to recovery differed markedly: a positive outcome was recorded in 1/10 cats in group B versus 10/11 in group C after 30 days of therapy (first follow-up). Follow-up completion was also consistently higher in group C across all time points. These findings might suggest a pattern of compulsive-like elimination, with the observed response to clomipramine providing further support for this conceptual framework.

In humans, pressure vests have been shown to reduce sympathetic arousal and increase parasympathetic activity, leading to potential improvements. This suggests that pressure stimulation may induce calming states through limbic and hippocampal modulation. While pressure vests have been anecdotally used as supportive therapy for children with autistic disorders and dogs with anxiety, rigorous scientific evidence is lacking to support their efficacy in clinical management. In a preliminary clinical trial, we applied a pressure vest to several dogs hospitalized in the intensive care unit to manage anxiety. Some cases are here reported. While these preliminary results are promising, controlled, randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of this therapy. Nevertheless, given the absence of established treatment protocols, exploring the potential benefits of pressure vests represents a promising avenue for future research in improving the experience of dogs with specific situational or generalized anxiety. © The Author 2025

ABSTRACT Background Hyperesthesia syndrome (HS) is a common yet poorly understood condition in cats, with hypothesized neurological and behavioral causes and limited data on outcomes and treatment. Objectives This study aimed to describe the clinical outcomes and the treatment response of 28 cats with HS, managed through various therapeutic strategies. Animals Clinical records of 28 cats with HS and minimum of 1‐year follow‐up were reviewed. Methods Retrospective, observational, descriptive study conducted on a case series of cats affected by HS. Sixteen cats (57%) received fluoxetine alone (Fluoxetine‐only), seven (25%) were managed with behavioral modification and gabapentin or fluoxetine (Fluoxetine/Gabapentin + Behavior) and five (18%) were treated with behavioral modification alone (Behavior‐only). Results An episode‐free period (EFP) ≥ 9 months was observed in 23 (82%) cats. Fifteen cats (94%) in the Fluoxetine‐only group experienced an EFP of ≥ 9 months. Moreover, they had a shorter time to recovery (median [IQR] = 8 [3.5–18] days) compared to the Fluoxetine/Gabapentin + Behavior and Behavior‐only groups (median [IQR] = 100 [90–210] and 60 [30–90] days, respectively). At the 1‐year follow‐up, 26 (93%) cats no longer had HS clinical signs and 14 (50%) were still under pharmacotherapy. Relapses were reported only in one case (4%). Conclusions Most of the cat's diagnosed with HS, and managed through various therapeutic strategies, experienced an EFP of more than 9 months and showed absence of clinical signs at 1 year follow‐up.

This case report details the management of a 3-year-old intact male British Shorthair cat presenting with severe owner-directed aggression and urine marking, both of which worsened after the introduction of a second tomcat. A behavioral consultation identified fear-based defensive aggression with territorial traits as the primary diagnosis. The case was managed through a multimodal approach, involving the expertise of a veterinary behaviorist and a reproductive medicine specialist, along with pharmacological sterilization using a 4.7 mg deslorelin implant. To reduce the expected flare-up caused by the GnRH agonist, gabapentin (10 mg/kg PO q. 12 h for 21 days) was administered, and behavioral management strategies were implemented. A temporary resurgence of aggression and marking occurred ten days after implantation, resolving spontaneously within four days. Improvements included cessation of urine marking, increased affiliative behaviors, and stable cohabitation with a younger tomcat also implanted after puberty. This case highlights the importance of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary treatment plan. The successful control of the flare-up phase with gabapentin and behavior modification is especially noteworthy, as it may serve as a model for similar hormone-mediated or fear-based behavioral issues. Owner education on feline emotional expression was also vital to the success of the treatment.

As a social species, it would be anticipated that horses may display altered behaviours toward dying or dead conspecifics. However, there is remarkably little literature on this subject. The aim of this study was to identify behavioural changes in horses who have experienced the loss of a companion equid. An online survey was used to collect data on the housing and management of the equids, information on the surviving and deceased equid (including relationship), the passing of the deceased equid, and the type and duration of immediate and sustained behavioural changes in the surviving horse. The survey was completed for 325 surviving horses. Horse owners reported multiple changes in behaviour in the surviving horse within 24 h of the companion's death; most often related to arousal (88.96 %), behaviour directed towards other equids (77.67 %) and people (77.64 %), alertness to stimuli (72.92 %) and vocalisation (68.63 %). Multiple logistic regression models indicate that horses who had shared an affectionate relationship, rather than simply tolerated each other, were more likely to change their excitement to interact with others or at feeding time (parental-dependant vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.006; friendly vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.023) and behaviour towards humans (parentaldependant vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.026; friendly vs. mutual tolerance: p = 0.029). These behavioural changes often persisted for 6 months after the death of their companion. Horses who had witnessed the death of their companion were more likely to show alterations in time spent sleeping (p = 0.028) and feeding (p = 0.030) within 24 h of death, compared to before companion death. These surviving horses were also more likely to have a change in excitement towards interacting with others and/or around feeding time (p = 0.004) and vigilance (p = 0.016). Whether or not the surviving horse had spent time with the dead body did not affect its behaviour in the first 24 h of loss. However, within 6 months after the death of the companion, horses who could spend time with the body had no change in vocalisation (p = 0.005) and excitement to interact with others and/or to feed time (p = 0.022). Conversely, horses who could not spend time with the body were more likely to show a change in arousal (p = 0.038) and vigilance (p = 0.033). These findings indicate that horses may express grief-related behaviours, but further independent empirical evidence is required. The death of a companion can have negative consequences for the survivor's welfare. This study may help owners manage emotional welfare better during this difficult time.

There is an increasing number of studies on the effect of aquatic therapy in dogs, but we have very few data for the cat, not only because this is a new area in veterinary physical rehabilitation, but also because of the difficulties in managing the feline patient and its stress during the rehabilitation session. Cats are often precluded from water therapy due to the assumption of their innate aversion to water. Veterinary professionals should meticulously evaluate stress indicators in cats in order to safeguard their welfare and enhance treatment outcomes, not only during physiotherapy sessions but starting from home. When cats are involved, stress signals should be carefully considered. For cats, leaving their familiar environment can be particularly stressful, and at the moment, cat-friendly guidelines allow the veterinary team to respond early to the first signs of discomfort and adjust the interaction accordingly. As a consequence, when cats are involved, stress signals should be carefully considered. We develop a protocol for (1) recognizing fear signals; (2) reducing stress during the rehabilitation program, particularly when water is involved. All 12 cats referred for the program underwent the preliminary sessions and progressed successfully. No cats were excluded from the underwater treadmill (UWTM) portion of the program after initial evaluation. There is no data in the veterinary literature on the role of stress monitoring in cats performing water rehabilitations, even though this could be the key to success. The UWTM was followed by all of the cats, regardless of their sex, sexual status, breed, or housing condition (outdoor/indoor). Stressrelated behaviors were evaluated in 12 cats over three underwater treadmill sessions. GEE analysis showed a trend toward reduced odds of stress expression with successive sessions (OR = 0.58, p = 0.050), with no significant change in stress counts (RR = 0.91, p = 0.37). Age was not associated with stress measures. Cats preferring play as reinforcement showed markedly fewer stress signs than those preferring food (RR approximate to 0.19, p = 0.01). Early identification of stress allows the cat to start and follow the rehabilitation program without prior exclusion, assuring wellness and appropriate rehabilitation treatment.

A 13-year-old, 5.5 kg, spayed female domestic shorthair cat was presented to the veterinary clinic for evaluation of behavioral changes. The cat had been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism two years prior and was currently receiving oral methimazole to control the condition. The cat's owners also described increased nocturnal activity, excessive vocalization, and an unexpected strengthening of their bond with the other house cat over the past two months. Despite house soiling, this was not the client's primary concern. A CT scan revealed the right adrenal mass, associated with reduced size of the contralateral gland. Given the potential link between a sex-hormone-producing adrenal tumor and the behavioral changes, adrenalectomy was strongly recommended and subsequently accepted by the owners. Following surgery, the cat's sexual and social behaviors ceased. Two weeks postoperatively, sex hormone levels were found to be within the normal range for a spayed female cat.

OBJECTIVE Fly-catching syndrome (FCS) is a rare condition typically characterized by episodes during which affected dogs bite or lick the air and jump for no apparent reason. Among veterinary literature, obsessive-compulsive disorders, focal epileptic seizures, and underlying gastrointestinal diseases were considered the most likely triggering causes. Recently, gluten-sensitive dyskinesia has been described in dogs, but it has never been reported to be associated to FCS. ANIMAL A 6-year-old male French Bulldog. CLINICAL PRESENTATION, PROGRESSION, AND PROCEDURES The dog was presented for a 2-month history of episodes characterized by sudden onset of jumping while trying to catch something in the air without impaired consciousness or autonomic signs. The episodes could be interrupted by the owner and lasted several minutes. The dog suffered from chronic gastrointestinal signs. The neurological examination was within normal limits except for the episodes suggestive of FCS during the consultation. The serological test for anti-gliadin immunoglobulin G (AG IgG) and anti-transglutaminase-2 immunoglobulin A (ATG-2 IgA) antibodies resulted above the reference range (3.092 and 0.929, respectively; normal range < 0.6). TREATMENT AND OUTCOME An exclusively gluten-free diet was started. Complete resolution of the episodes was reported during a 3-month follow-up. CLINICAL RELEVANCE To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of FCS associated to positive AG IgG and ATG-2 IgA antibodies responsive to a gluten-free diet. The typical manifestation of the episodes and response to diet support the hypothesis that FCS may be associated to gastrointestinal disorders. However, more studies are needed in order to confirm this hypothesis.

The positive impact of essential oils (EOs) on stress release has been demonstrated in both humans and dogs. Among the EOs known for their anxiety-reducing properties, including Cananga odorata, Citrus aurantium, Cupressus sempervirens, Lavandula angustifolia, and Litsea citrata, there is a lack of consensus on the optimal concentration for efficacy. This exploratory study sought to investigate the effects of olfactory enrichment with a blend of these EOs on dogs introduced to an unfamiliar environment. The authors sought to determine the minimum concentration required to achieve increased relaxation. In a randomized controlled crossover study design, 54 dogs were exposed to 0, 1, 5, and 10 drops of the EO blend applied to their collars before entering an unfamiliar room with their owners. Behavioral observations were employed to quantify the total duration of activity and relaxation related behaviours for each dog under each treatment condition. A significant difference in panting was identified among the treatments (χ2(3) = 9.88; p = 0.020). Dunn-Bonferroni post-hoc tests revealed a significant reduction in panting during the 10 drops treatment compared to the control treatment (p = 0.047). No significant differences were observed for other behaviors. To provide a comprehensive overview of behavioral tendencies in this canine population, owners also completed the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), revealing low scores for anxiety in the study group. These preliminary findings suggest that a concentration of 10 drops of the EO blend on a dog's collar induces increased relaxation, specifically reflected in decreased panting behavior. Lower concentrations did not exhibit a significant relationship with the observed behaviors. These initial findings underscore the importance of exposing dogs to an appropriate concentration of EOs when exploring their potential benefits on welfare among dogs with low anxiety levels. Further research in this area is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the potential benefits of EOs for canine welfare.

Veterinarians, unlike human physicians, could potentially care for the patient for several years, from conception to end-of-life care. Because of their close relationship with the animal, healthcare providers (for example, veterinarians and staff) are more likely to be affected by bad events and end-of-life care. The purpose of this study was to assess the emotional impact of patients’ deaths on Brazilian veterinarians; 549 Brazilian veterinarians (78.3% females) completed a 20-item online questionnaire. Females were more emotionally affected than males by having to talk to the owner about their animal’s death and more emotionally affected by the animal’s death itself. Furthermore, the emotional impact of an animal’s death was heavily influenced by the number of animals euthanized and varied greatly across veterinarians based on their age, with vets over 50 years old being less affected than vets between the ages of 31 and 40. The majority of responders (91.0%) were not trained to deal with grief during their degree. Those who had some training reported being less affected by bereavement. These findings indicate that patient death is a significant emotional concern for veterinarians. Specific education during the degree course, aimed at preparing future veterinarians to deal with death and death communication, is lacking but necessary.

Abnormal repetitive behaviors are complex and varied, likely originating from both environmental and genetic factors. Diagnostic criteria emphasize behaviors that are in excess of that required to accomplish what would be any functional goal of the class of behavior, for example, non-functional acts and behaviors that interfere with the patient's ability to engage in normal social behavior or to avoid pain or risk. There is a lack of consensus on when and how a repetitive behavior can be considered a pathological condition, that is, obsessive-compulsive/compulsive disorder (CD/OCD). This diagnosis is now frequently used in veterinary medicine to characterize ritualistic and repetitive behaviors that are excessive compared to what is necessary for proper function and without interference with daily functioning. The present study was aimed at revealing specific ethological patterns involved in CD/OCD in order to help clinicians early recognize signs of CD/OCD and thus target therapeutic interventions. We found that compulsive disorders present a specific motor structure compared to their corresponding ordinary actions. According to our results, not only repetition (repeated actions) and frequency (the rate at which actions occur over a particular period of time) but also redundancy (superfluous actions that are non-functional for the achievement of a goal) of behaviors should be considered as key feature in CD/OCD in companion animals. (c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Recent advancements in our understanding of grief have led to the recognition that this complex emotion extends beyond human experience and encompasses animal behavior. Additionally, grief is conceptualized as a human response to the loss of companion animals, who hold a significant place in our lives and often become integral members of our families. These 2 factors have propelled grief to the forefront of both human psychology and veterinary medicine, requiring professionals to not only address the grief of clients but also manage their own personal grief responses.

A 2-year-old chihuahua dog exhibited recurrent mounting episodes toward both known and unknown individuals. The findings from both the physical and blood tests were unremarkable. After ruling out other physical and psychological diseases, displacement behaviour was suspected. Occurrences of mounting behaviour might sometimes be due to conditions unrelated to reproduction. As such, neutering is only advised after a precise diagnosis, and would not have been helpful in this particular situation. Chewing was used as a major activity alternative to provide the dog with an adequate behavioural activity.

The dog is a so far unique species to study interspecific communication and a promising evolutionary model for preverbal human communication. Recently cats were reported to show some similar skills to dogs. Here we directly compared both the testability and the success of companion dogs and cats in relying on human distal pointing gestures. Due to differences in their domestication, social and ecological background, and developmental processes, we expected better performance from dogs compared to cats. Using an object-choice task, cats made considerably fewer choices than dogs in the laboratory environment, and their tendency to make a choice declined during trials. They were slightly more testable at home, where their willingness to choose did not decrease over time. Dogs made more successful choices than cats, both at the group and individual level, irrespective of the type of the pointing gesture. Older cats were more successful. Despite the two species' rather similar role nowadays as human companions, our results support previous findings suggesting that, compared to the dog, the cat is a less ideal model to study some human communicative abilities in a laboratory environment.

Witnessing a companion animal's death can be a stressful psychological experience for human guardians, affecting their ability to grieve. The veterinary and psychological sciences offer useful tools for supporting human guardians during their companion animal's terminal illness. Accordingly, the present study aimed to validate the HHHHMM Quality of Life Scale in the Italian context. The study followed a mixed-methods design and involved 314 participants. The Mourning Dog Questionnaire (MDQ), Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS), Pet Bereavement Questionnaire (PBQ), and open-ended questions were adopted to test the research hypotheses and qualitatively explore the grieving experience. The results showed that the model's fit was partially adequate, with all parameters being significant and over 0.40. Moreover, human guardians' anger levels were high when their companion animal's quality of life was poor, and greater levels of grief were associated with higher levels of attachment. Gender differences were observed only with the LAPS, and a negative correlation with age was found with the LAPS and PBQ. A thematic qualitative analysis revealed four themes: continuing bonds, coping strategies, shared moral values, and perceived support. Thus, the research reaffirmed the importance of adequate veterinary and psychological support for human guardians experiencing the loss of companion animals.

We investigated the spontaneous tendency of dog puppies, kittens and wolf pups to match their behaviour to actions demonstrated by a human, in the absence of food reward. Based on dogs' inherent sociality and domestication history, we predicted that the tendency to match human actions is more pronounced in this species than in the other two. To test this, we exposed N = 42 dog puppies, N = 39 kittens and N = 8 wolf pups to ostensive human demonstrations of an object-related action. We found that dog puppies paid more attention to the demonstration than kittens and wolf pups. Dog puppies and wolf pups matched the demonstrated actions in more trials than kittens. Dog puppies also tended to reproduce the human demonstration that differed from the action they typically preformed in the absence of demonstration. These results support that dog puppies show a tendency to attend to humans and conform their behaviour to human demonstrations in the absence of extrinsic food rewards. This spontaneous tendency is also relevant for practical applications, by providing the basis to devise puppy-training methods that rely less on food rewards, and instead exploit puppies' natural predisposition for social learning.

We tested companion cats and dogs in similar indoor conditions using identical procedures in the classic detour task around a V-shaped transparent wire-mesh fence. Besides the control group, we used two types of laser light-pointing demonstration (moving around the fence, or pointing straight at the reward). We found that dogs reached the food reward faster than cats; across consecutive trials, only the dogs showed improvement in their speed and dogs continued to use the same side for detouring after a preceding successful attempt, while cats chose the side for detouring irrespective of their previous successful trials. In addition, 'demonstrating' a detour with the laser did not influence the speed or direction of the detour of the subjects; and dogs looked back to their owner more frequently than the cats did. We discuss the possibility that for dogs, detouring along a transparent obstacle represents a more problematic task than for cats; therefore, dogs strongly rely on their previous experiences. This is the first time that cats were successfully tested in this detour paradigm in direct comparison with dogs. The results are relevant from the aspect of testing cognitive performance in companion cats, which are known to be notoriously reluctant to engage with novel experimental situations.

Rabbits can experience stress during transport. This study explores the effects of Essential Oils (EOs) on the heart rate of rabbits during transport. Rabbits were submitted to 3 different treatments: no olfactory exposure to EOs (treatment 1, control); olfactory exposure to 30 drops of Lavandula angustifolia EO (treatment 2); and olfactory exposure to 30 drops of a blend of 5 EOs (treatment 3, Cananga odorata, Citrus aurantium, Cupressus sempervirens, Lavandula angustifolia, Litsea citrata EOs) in a randomized controlled crossover study design. Treatment 1 and Treatment 2 did not induce a significant change in rabbits’ heart rates, however, treatment 3 did induce a significant decrease in rabbits’ heart rates after transport. These results suggest that olfactory exposure to this blend of 5 EOs decreased the rabbit’s heart rate after transport. More research is needed to further evaluate the effects of olfactory enrichment with EOs in rabbits during transport.

Self-propelled motion cues elicit the perception of inanimate objects as animate. Studies usually rely on the looking behaviour of subjects towards stimuli displayed on a screen, but utilizing artificial unidentified moving objects (UMOs) provides a more natural, interactive context. Here, we investigated whether cats and dogs discriminate between UMOs showing animate vs inanimate motion, and how they react to the UMOs’ interactive behaviour. Subjects first observed, in turn, the motion of an animate and an inanimate UMO, and then they could move freely for 2 min while both UMOs were present (two-way choice phase). In the following specific motion phase, the animate UMO showed one of three interactive behaviours: pushing a ball, a luring motion, or moving towards the subject (between-subject design). Then, subjects could move freely for 2 min again while the UMO was motionless. At the end, subjects were free to move in the room while the UMO was moving semi-randomly in the room. We found that dogs approached and touched the UMO(s) sooner and more frequently than cats, regardless of the context. In the two-way choice phase, dogs looked at the animate UMO more often, and both species touched the animate UMO more frequently. However, whether the UMO showed playing, luring or assertive behaviour did not influence subjects’ behaviour. In summary, both species displayed distinctive behaviour towards the animate UMO, but in dogs, in addition to the physical contact this was also reflected by the looking behaviour. Overall, dogs were more keen to explore and interact with the UMO than cats, which might be due to the general increased stress of cats in novel environments. The findings indicate the importance of measuring multiple behaviours when assessing responses to animacy. The live demonstration using artificial agents provides a unique opportunity to study social perception in nonhuman species.

Behavioural reactions towards a dead conspecific have been observed rarely in wild canids and there is no documented scientific evidence of grief in pet dogs. A quantitative analysis of grief-related responses in both dogs and owners was conducted, using the validated online Mourning Dog Questionnaire. The survey was completed by 426 Italian adults who had owned at least two dogs, one of whom died while the other was still alive. This research aims to explore whether, how and what a dog may experience over the loss of a companion dog. Multiple logistic regression indicates that both a friendly or parental relationship between two dogs but also the fact that dogs used to share food and the owner’s grief and anger are principal predictors of negative behavioural changes. According to dog owners’ answers, the surviving dog after the death of the companion dog changed both in terms of activities (“playing”, “sleeping”, and “eating”) and emotions (fearfulness), which occurred as a function of the quality of the relationship between the two animals. By contrast, the time the two dogs had spent together had no effect on the behaviours of surviving dog. Owner perceptions about their dog’s reactions and emotions were not related to the memory or suffering of the event that tended to diminish over time. These findings indicate that a dog may show grief-related behavioural and emotional patterns when a close conspecific dies, with aspects of the latter possibly related to the owner’s emotional status.