Dynamics of the access of captive domestic cats to a feed environmental enrichment item

Providing feed enrichment to captive felids that are obligate carnivores is crucial for eliciting natural hunting behaviours. However, studies of the efficacy of enrichment techniques usually analyse the whole group, overlooking the different behaviours of individual animals towards the enriched environment. In this study, we used beef (700 g) suspended by steel cables to achieve feed enrichment in a colony of captive domestic cats (Fells silvestris catus), and we analysed the dynamics and the degree of individual interaction with the enrichment item. The enrichment presentation varied as follows: period (morning or afternoon), quantity of enrichment item (one or three), and presence/absence of the experimenter. The results showed that the cats spent more time interacting with the item in the morning ((x) over bar = 19.23 +/- 2.00) than in the afternoon ((x) over bar = 15.80 +/- 1.59; P=0.03). The frequency ((x) over bar = 1.97 +/- 0.14; P<0.05) and the duration (<(x)over bar> = 20.21 +/- 1.86; P<0.01) of the interactions increased when three items were introduced. With respect to the organisation of access to the item, the individuals in the colony accessed the enrichment item in a predetermined order; some individuals interacted with the item more frequently, others interacted with the item moderately, and some interacted little or did not interact with the item at all. On the basis of the dynamics towards the food item, we identified relevant behavioural characteristics in the colony. This more precise diagnosis showed that a more appropriate arrangement of items within the confined space helped to improve environmental enrichment. Providing captive animals with more balanced conditions ensures that individuals within the same colony interact with and benefit from the enrichment item more equally and efficiently. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.