IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Gartner, M.C.; Weiss, A. | |
| Scottish wildcat (_Felis silvestris grampia_) personality and subjective well-being: implications for captive management | |
| 2013 Applied Animal Behaviour Science (147): 261-267 | |
Research in animal personality has been increasing over the last decade, as scientists realize its importance to health outcomes. In particular, personality has sometimes been used, in conjunction with other tools, for aspects of captive management, including decreasing stress, increasing positive health outcomes, successful breeding, and infant survival. A few such studies have focused on felids, and have shown that there are possible applications for personality in that taxon. This study looked at the Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia), a critically endangered species, with only an estimated 400 left in the wild. Raters assessed 25 Scottish wildcats on 42 traits and on a subjective well-being questionnaire. Mean inter-rater reliability on the personality items was 0.59 and 0.53 on the subjective well-being items. Three personality components were found using principal-components analysis: Dominance, Agreeableness, and Self Control. Higher Self Control was related to higher subjective well-being (r = 0.67, P < 0.01). Implications for the results of this and other similar studies are discussed. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |