Hair Cortisol and Fe-BARQ: Evaluating Chronic Stress and Behavior in Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease
1
Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
2
Department of Microbiology, Institute for Viral Diseases, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
3
Department of Companion Animal, Shingu College, Seongnam-si 13174, Republic of Korea
4
Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Institute for the 3Rs & Animal Welfare, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
5
Duffield Institute for Animal Behavior, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2025, 15(6), 889; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060889
Submission received: 18 February 2025
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Revised: 18 March 2025
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Accepted: 19 March 2025
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Published: 20 March 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Companion Animals)
Simple Summary
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) significantly reduces cats’ quality of life; however, its association with stress is not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate stress and behavioral changes in cats with CKD. Herein, we measured cortisol levels in fur samples from cats with CKD and healthy cats and surveyed behavioral changes. Higher cortisol levels, along with specific behavioral changes, in cats with more severe CKD were observed, suggesting a complex relationship between CKD and stress in cats. The findings of this study highlight the importance of considering behavioral changes and stress management in the care and treatment of cats with CKD.
Abstract
This study used hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and the Feline Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire as indicators of chronic stress status and behavioral changes in cats, respectively. Few studies have simultaneously employed both indices to examine cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to evaluate HCC and questionnaire data from control group cats (n = 21) and those with CKD (n = 21). Additionally, we investigated the correlation between HCC and living environment. For this study, hair samples were collected from the cats’ abdomens and analyzed for HCC. Owners completed questionnaires to provide information on their cats’ behavior, demographics, environmental factors, and household characteristics over 3 months. Cats in the late-stage CKD group had significantly higher HCC levels than those in the early-stage CKD and control groups. We observed different associations between behavioral patterns, living environments, and HCC depending on the stage of CKD progression. The consistency between the HCC findings and questionnaire results, including the higher HCC levels in the late-stage CKD group and behavioral changes in the CKD group, suggests the possibility of a complex interaction between CKD progression and chronic stress.
