Rescue centre and shelter environments cause significant stress in cats, impacting their welfare, immune function, and adoptability — requiring evidence-based intervention.
Shelter environments impose multiple simultaneous stressors on cats: loss of familiar environment and social group, exposure to novel animals and humans, inability to control territory, unpredictable routines, and elevated noise levels. Acute stress is followed by chronic stress in extended stays, with progressive immune compromise. Welfare interventions with strong evidence include: providing hiding boxes (dramatically reduces acute stress indicators within 24 hours), maintaining consistent feeding schedules, providing visual barriers between adjacent enclosures, positive interaction training with familiar staff, and Feliway diffusers in housing areas. Adoption-focused welfare practice includes matching cats to appropriate household types and providing post-adoption support to reduce return rates. Foster networks reduce average shelter stays and substantially improve welfare outcomes.