Introduction

Research activities on the welfare of domestic cats have increased greatly in recent years. Of particular note is the emergence, especially in the USA and to a lesser extent in the UK, of shelter medicine as a veterinary specialist discipline in its own right. Its emergence is immensely gratifying, and is already leading to major improvements and refinements in the ways that overpopulation, one of the most important global issues in cat welfare, is being tackled. Significant advances are being made in the ways shelters are managed and cats are cared for. In addition, we are beginning to understand better why cats end up in shelters, what to do about it and how to promote successful adoptions. As a result, the number of healthy cats and kittens euthanised in shelters has decreased in some countries, although it still remains much too high.

There have also been improvements in our understanding of the needs of cats and how they can be met, whether cats are housed in the home, the shelter or boarding cattery, the veterinary surgery or the research facility. Innovative ways of enriching the environment of cats in order to meet these needs and improve their welfare are being developed and applied in practice. By enriching the lives of cats under our care, we also enrich our own lives.