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There's
well documented research which suggests people who own pets, including
cats, live longer, are less likely to have heart attacks and suffer
less stress.
But
research from Southampton University suggests that cats themselves
are the ones getting stressed, and that we should all, as responsible
cat owners, be aware of the problems.
As
part of a BBC ONE programme MP Ann Widdecombe, patron of the Cats
Protection League and cat lover, investigated the claims by accompanying
Southampton vet Rachel Casey as she visited two households with
stressed cats.
The
researchers studied cats in Eastleigh. Eighty percent of them showed
signs of trauma. They then went to a rural environment in Devon.
The stress figure was exactly the same - 80%.
That
means four out of every five cats display signs of emotional trauma
or exaggerated fear.
The
surprising result is making the scientists think again about what
is significant to cat behaviour and happiness.
You
can see more on this story on Inside Out, with Chris Packham on
Monday 30th September on BBC ONE at 7.30pm
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