Study finds pussycats can suffer stress, too

Link : http://uk.news.yahoo.com/041027/323/f5fhh.html



LONDON (AFP) - Humans are not alone in suffering from stress-related illnesses, a team of British veterinarians reported: their pet cats can be affected too.

A team from Edinburgh University in Scotland found that the presence of another pussycat in the same house, moving home or the arrival of a new member of the household can produce anxiety conditions.

Experts in cat health reached their conclusions after studying two groups of felines: one which failed to pass urine adequately and one that behaved normally.

They found that cats with urine retention were much more anxious than the other group, especially if there was another cat in residence.

"Feline lower urinary tract disease is frustrating for vets and owners, because most cases have no apparent cause," according to Danielle Gunn-Moore, Ralston-Purina lecturer in feline medicine at Edinburgh University.

"We believed stress could be a trigger and wanted to identify differences in the cats' environments and temperaments which might cause this condition."