Relationships between scores of the feline temperament profile and behavioural and adrenocortical responses to a mild stressor in cats

There is a growing need for an easy assessment of stress levels in cats in order to more effectively diagnose, distinguish and treat stress-related disorders or behavioural problems. Therefore, we investigated which behavioural changes might be associated with an adrenocortical response to an acute stress or (spray bath) and in which magnitude this response depends on the temperament of the cat. A feline temperament profile (FTP), which assesses the behavioural responses of cats in different test situations, was performed on eight male cats. All cats were evaluated in regard to physiological function of the adrenal glands using an ACTH stimulation test. To enable unbiased, stress-free blood collection, the cats underwent surgery for implantation of a venous access port system. After recovery, a stress test was performed by exposing each cat to a 3-min spray bath. Blood was collected before and after the bath and analyzed for cortisol by HPLC. Behaviour of the cats during the stress test was videotaped. Correlations between FTP scores and measures of behavioural and adrenocortical responses were examined. The cats showed an increase in grooming behaviour after the stressor ( P < 0.05), whereas other behaviours did not change. The spray bath significantly increased levels of circulating cortisol in all cats, which peaked 15 min after stressor exposure. Cats with high levels of plasma cortisol at peak times vocalized more ( r s = 0.93; P < 0.001) and showed less locomotion ( r s = −0.74; P < 0.05) during the spray bath. FTP scores were not associated with adrenocortical responses. These results indicate that the cats coped individually with the stressor spray bath by vocalization and locomotion and that this response could be correlated to the plasma cortisol concentration minutes after the stressor was applied. The results of the FTP test were not able to predict behavioural and adrenocortical responses in stressed cats under the given conditions.