Three Things to Know
To understand the current state of companion cat and dog welfare research, researchers conducted text mining and topic analysis on over 1,700 research papers published since 1980.
The analysis revealed a significant increase in companion cat and dog welfare research output since 2005, with European researchers leading in publications, likely driven by a strong scientific focus and the need to inform evolving regulations.
Shelter animal welfare emerged as a well-researched area, with “shelter” being a highly frequent term. Key research topics included “Stress and housing conditions,” “Public health,” and “Owners’ and veterinarians’ perceptions.” However, research on proper feeding practices, positive welfare approaches, and laboratory animals remains limited, highlighting significant knowledge gaps.
For Dog Welfare Practitioners:
The significant increase in dog welfare research since 2005 is a crucial development for dog welfare practitioners. This surge underscores the rapid advancement of the field. While our understanding remains incomplete, a substantial body of scientific evidence now supports dog welfare practices. It is imperative that dog welfare professionals – whether working in shelters, veterinary clinics, or training settings – leverage this growing body of knowledge to enhance their approaches and improve the lives of dogs under their care.
The Full Picture
Despite growing political interest in animal welfare within livestock industries, companion animal welfare, particularly for cats and dogs, remains largely unregulated. Existing legislation often relies on general anti-cruelty laws, failing to address specific challenges faced by pets, such as overpopulation, abandonment, and public health concerns, particularly in areas with large street dog populations. Issues also arise from unethical breeding practices, such as those involving brachycephalic pets, which lead to severe health problems, and rising pet obesity caused by overfeeding and lack of exercise.
This review, titled “Cats’ and dogs’ welfare: text mining and topics modeling analysis of the scientific literature”, utilizes text mining and topic modeling to analyze scientific literature on cat and dog welfare. By identifying key companion cat and dog welfare research areas and emerging trends, this study aims to inform the development of robust, evidence-based legislation to improve the lives of companion animals.
Study Methods
A systematic literature search was conducted in May-June 2023 to identify peer-reviewed articles (1980-2023) on cat and dog welfare within veterinary, agricultural, and biological sciences. After screening 2,725 initial records, 1,775 relevant articles were analyzed. Text mining of abstracts and titles was used to analyze research topics.
Study Results
The field of companion animal welfare has witnessed a dramatic surge in research over the past four decades. While annual publication numbers remained low until the mid-1990s, with fewer than 10 studies published annually, this figure skyrocketed to over 200 in 2022. Throughout the review period (1980-2023), dogs consistently garnered the most research attention, appearing in 58% of studies, followed by cats (26%) and studies encompassing both species (16%).
European researchers led the field, contributing to nearly half (47%) of all publications. North America (30%) followed, while contributions from Oceania, Asia, South America, and Africa were lower. This regional disparity likely reflects stronger European legislation, exemplified by Italy’s 2004 “Law 189,” compared to the United States, where weaker legislation and significant welfare challenges persist. Increased research funding has also fueled this growth.
Text mining revealed frequent keywords like “shelter,” “behavior,” “owner,” “adopt,” and “stress,” highlighting the prominence of shelter dog welfare research. Topic analysis identified nine key areas, with “Stress and housing conditions” emerging as the most frequent, followed by “Public health” and “Owners’ and veterinarians’ perceptions“. Breeding practices, a top research priority identified by dog welfare professionals in the UK, has also been a key area of focus. Other significant topics included “Health issues and management”, “Shelter management and euthanasia”, “Human-animal interaction”, “Welfare and pain assessment”, and “Behavioral problems”.
Despite significant progress, critical gaps remain in understanding companion cat and dog welfare. For instance, research on appropriate feeding practices and obesity prevention is insufficient, despite rising pet obesity rates. Furthermore, positive welfare approaches, which prioritize enriching animal lives, are underrepresented compared to traditional models focused on minimizing negative experiences. Lastly, there is also a lack of research on the welfare of laboratory animals.
Conclusion
This study employed text mining and topic modeling to analyze a comprehensive body of literature on companion animal welfare, revealing key research trends and identifying areas for future investigation. The analysis highlighted well-established areas for companion cat and dog research, including behavioral issues, housing conditions, and animal health, while also uncovering emerging themes such as human-animal interactions and the perspectives of owners and veterinarians. This diverse range of topics underscores the multidisciplinary nature of animal welfare research. As future legislation aimed at protecting cats and dogs will require a strong evidence base, further research is essential to deepen our understanding of companion animal welfare needs and how to effectively promote positive animal welfare outcomes.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
–
Year of Publication:
2023
External Link:
Adamaκopoulou C, Benedetti B, Zappaterra M, Felici M, Masebo NT, Previti A, Passantino A and Padalino B (2023) Cats’ and dogs’ welfare: text mining and topics modeling analysis of the scientific literature. Front. Vet. Sci. 10:1268821. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1268821