Barometric whole-body plethysmography (BWBP) is considered to be a particularly gentle method of assessing lung function in cats. However, there have been no studies to date investigating the stress experienced by cats during measurements. The prospective study included 48 healthy adult cats. Each cat was measured in the plethysmographic chamber for a total of 30 min and stress levels were determined every 10 min using a stress ethogram. At the beginning of measurements, 75% of cats were assessed as tense. Over the three time periods, a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in the total stress score was observed. In addition, all measurement parameters correlated significantly with the stress score, with the exception of enhanced pause and tidal volume. It can therefore be assumed that cats will initially experience stress during examination in the plethysmographic chamber, but stress will decrease significantly over time. As the stress level correlates with many measurement parameters, this should be taken into account when interpreting the results.

One of the key goals the feed industry emphasizes when exploring the incorporation of novel substances into animal diets is to enhance feed utilization efficiency, to bolster animal health and well-being. Fermented seaweed powder holds promise as a valuable and sustainable component of animal feed, owing to its rich nutrient profile and purported benefits for livestock and aquaculture species. This study provides some interesting and original preliminary data regarding the benefits of supplementing cats\' diets with fermented dried seaweed. Using a broad investigative approach to measure and analyse multiple health benefits of feeding fermented dried macroalgae to cats as a nutritional supplement, the results of this 8-week study identified several positive health attributes related to body coat quality, nutrient digestibility, behavioural changes, a healthy gut microbiota ratio, and enhanced immunity. There were no adverse effects observed in the cats after supplementation with the fermented seaweed powder. The sample size in this study with cats should be increased, but this preliminary work showed that the seaweed-supplemented cats exhibited improvements in the measured health parameters over the control cats. As a result of this 8-week trial, key information has been provided regarding future research direction focusing on skin health application which is essential to the overall animal wellbeing.

Persian and exotic shorthair cats are the most-popular brachycephalic breeds worldwide. This study aimed to explore differences in human-cat bonding, behavioural traits, perception of clinical breed-related problems, and the motivation for purchasing between brachycephalic cat owners (BCOs) and non-brachycephalic cat owners (NBCOs). Using an online questionnaire, human-cat bonding and cats\' behavioural traits were explored using the CORS and Fe-BARQ scales, respectively. Breed-related problems and motivations for purchasing were explored only in BCOs. There were 278 BCOs and 250 NBCOs who completed the survey. Respiratory diseases resulted in being the main health problem of these breeds. Most BCOs were not aware of the incidence of these disorders in brachycephalic cats. Character and appearance were the main motivations for purchasing these breeds. Perceived emotional closeness (EC), cat-owner interaction (COI), and perceived cost (PC) mean scores were significantly higher in BCOs. Playfulness and affection-/attention-seeking scores were significantly higher in NBCOs. BCOs reported a significantly higher score for separation-related behaviours. The higher scores in separation-anxiety-related behaviours and in the EC and COI scales could be related mainly to the high level of care these breeds require. The motivation for acquiring brachycephalic breeds for good companionship seems in contrast with the lower scores obtained from BCOs for playfulness and affection-/attention-seeking.