New tool makes it easier to measure cats’ quality of life

Cats often find it difficult to show when they are unwell. A new, scientifically validated tool is now set to help assess the animals’ quality of life more accurately. Researchers at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, in collaboration with Mars Veterinary Health, Royal Canin and the University of Bristol, have developed the so-called FelQoL (Feline Quality of Life).

The questionnaire is designed to enable cat owners and vets to assess cats’ physical and emotional wellbeing more systematically. The study, published in the *Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery*, is based on data from 1,324 cat owners in the US and the UK.

The FelQoL questionnaire comprises 38 questions. Owners rate, on a scale of one to seven, how well certain characteristics apply to their cat – including activity, sociability, mobility and relaxation.

According to the researchers, statistical and conceptual validation…