Cat rescue and shelter environments create significant welfare challenges for a species highly sensitive to social stress, confined spaces and unpredictable environments.
Shelter environments expose cats to chronic social stress from proximity to unfamiliar conspecifics, inadequate hiding opportunities, unpredictable human presence and sensory overload. Upper respiratory infections spread rapidly in shelter settings, adding disease burden to existing stress. Foster care removes cats from the shelter environment, reducing stress and disease risk substantially. Cat-only or cat-friendly shelters with individual rooms, hiding places and consistent routines show significantly better welfare outcomes.