animals Review Methods of Assessment of the Welfare of Shelter Cats: A Review Veronika Vojtkovská * , Eva Vosláˇrová and Vladimír Veˇcerek Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic;
[email protected] (E.V.);
[email protected] (V.V.) * Correspondence:
[email protected] Received: 17 July 2020; Accepted: 26 August 2020; Published: 28 August 2020 Simple Summary: The welfare of animals in shelters draws the attention of both the scientific and general public. It is possible to assess the well-being of cats in shelters using tools that are based on indicators used to reveal problematic aspects of welfare. This review aims to provide an insight into available methods of assessment of the welfare of cats in shelters with an emphasis on behavioural, physiological and health indicators. Abstract: At any moment, there are millions of cats housed in foster care facilities for abandoned and stray animals for various reasons worldwide. Care, management and regulation among these facilities differ. Moreover, shelters can never substitute the full comfort of a good home for the animal, and the welfare of cats in shelters is a subject of discussion in many respects. Cats are animals sensitive to changes; for most of them, placement in a shelter is a stressful experience because of changes in routine, environment and the presence of other animals. Stress is reflected in changes in behaviour, causes fluctuations in physiological values and disrupts the immune system, which is a predisposition to the development or reactivation of disease.