Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LXIX, Issue 1
Written by Simona NICOLAE, Iuliana CODREANU
The urinary behaviour in cats can be influenced by a series of physiological factors like age, physiological status and water intake. The present study highlights the age impact on the urinary behaviour, in terms of frequency and behavioural manifestation duration in different age groups. The study was carried out on 3 groups of clinically healthy cats, each consisting of 10 individuals grouped according to age: group 1 - youth, aged 3 months - 2 years old; group 2 - adults, aged 2-10 years old; group 3 - seniors, aged above 10 years old. The urinary behaviour was studied by performing individual ethograms, based on 24 hours/day video recordings, 5 consecutive days. The results showed that the highest urinating frequency/24 hours was recorded in youth, 62% higher than in adults, while in seniors the average frequency was 48.5% higher than in adults. Concerning the average length of the urinating session, the lowest mean value was recorded in youth, 27.9 seconds, 32.6% lower than adults, while in seniors the average value was 53.2 seconds, 28.5%, respectively 90.7% higher than adults, respectively youth.
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