EXPRESS: Can a water-based mist form of the F3 facial pheromone have a short-term effect on cats' adaptation to a new situation?

Abstract

ObjectivesThe arrival of an unknown human in the life of a cat can be seen as a challenging situation, helping the cat to cope with it could help in adoption processes or while hiring a pet sitter. This study aimed to investigate the impact of a water-based mist form of a F3 analogue treatment on the behaviour of cats exposed to the presence of an unknown human.MethodsTwo parallel and homogeneous groups of 11 cats were included in this study. Each cat was brought individually to an unknown room previously sprayed with the F3 pheromone analogue mist or a Placebo. After 40 minutes, an unknown human entered the room, and the cat's behaviour was observed. Locomotion, rubbing, feeding, and behaviours directed towards the human were analysed.ResultsCats in the F3-treated room tended to be quicker to approach (Frailty model, X² = 3.54, DF = 1, P = 0.06) and initiate contact with the unknown human (Frailty model, X² = 3.454, DF = 1, P = 0.063). F3-treated cats exhibited significantly more rubbing than control group (GzLMM, X² = 14.056, DF = 1, P < 0.001). They also sat (GzLMM, X² = 6.058, DF = 1, P < 0.05) and moved (GzLMM, X² = 6.163, DF = 1, P < 0.05) more frequently than the control ones. A PCA analysis revealed that F3-treated cats were more homogeneous in their behaviour than control cats and that these F3 cats displayed a more confident behavioral profile, as assessed by their exploratory behavior.Conclusions and relevanceThose results highlighted the interest of using a F3 analogue treatment as a mist form to help cats cope with a situation involving the first encounter with a new human. This was achieved by improving the approach with a new context, exploration, and human interactions.

Keywords: Coping; Human-animal relationship; Novelty; Pheromone.