That is a very good article. Thank you Dee.
This was very compelling:
One of the five freedoms of animal welfare is the freedom to express behaviors that are natural to the species. In addition to giving cats places to hide and elevated perches, shelters also need to think in terms of giving them opportunities to express their natural behaviors with scent-marking and smelling. Because familiar smells will make the cat feel safer, it is as bad to remove all scent sources — bedding, toys, scratching surfaces — from their shelter housing as it is to give them nowhere to hide. And yet that’s exactly what many shelters do, moving the cat from cage to cage or area to area, constantly washing their bedding and sanitizing their housing, never letting them create that comforting cocoon of familiar smells that can help turn down the volume on the stress all confined cats will feel.
It must be very difficult to balance strictest hygiene with allowing the cats personal space and scent areas.
I especially like this bit:
All forms of stress reduction should be investigated, including giving the cat better places to hide, high perches and safe access to outdoor “catios” if possible. Litter boxes should also be placed in areas where the cat feels secure when using them, and there should be multiple, frequently cleaned litter boxes in the home. But approaches like giving the cat places to spread his scent by rubbing and scratching, such as vertical scratching posts, as well as only washing their bedding and toys in rotation, need equal consideration.
The other day I read a post somewhere, the person was saying proudly "I wash all cat beds on a weekly basis" and thinking to myself oh my gosh what on earth for? those poor cats! While not even really thinking about what I meant.
I don't wash their beds very often, unless they are soiled, really only once a year for the self warming beds. In spring before I put them away for the summer. Other things, blankies, get washed more often, but not very. I don't think the hammock has been washed in over a year.