A non-randomized pilot study to test the feasibility of developing a frailty scale for pet cats
IntroductionHuman frailty has long been studied and dozens of “frailty scales” have been developed, but equivalent research is more limited in cats. This pilot study aimed to determine the feasibility of recruiting and retaining veterinary practices and owners, collecting study data, and analyzing r...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1549566/full |
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| author | Elizabeth J. Colleran Mikel M. Delgado Yunyi Ren Alexander J. German Margaret E. Gruen Danièlle A. Gunn-Moore Kathleen Romanowski Wendy Simpson Christine Kirnos Kathleen Keefe Ternes Judy Karnia Marybeth Temples Sandra L. Taylor Melissa Bain C. A. Tony Buffington |
| author_facet | Elizabeth J. Colleran Mikel M. Delgado Yunyi Ren Alexander J. German Margaret E. Gruen Danièlle A. Gunn-Moore Kathleen Romanowski Wendy Simpson Christine Kirnos Kathleen Keefe Ternes Judy Karnia Marybeth Temples Sandra L. Taylor Melissa Bain C. A. Tony Buffington |
| author_sort | Elizabeth J. Colleran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionHuman frailty has long been studied and dozens of “frailty scales” have been developed, but equivalent research is more limited in cats. This pilot study aimed to determine the feasibility of recruiting and retaining veterinary practices and owners, collecting study data, and analyzing results about frailty in older cats.MethodsParticipating feline-exclusive practice veterinarians recruited cats aged 11–20 years, of either sex and of any breed. Owners completed a questionnaire about their cat and estimated its frailty. Study veterinarians also estimated the cat's frailty after obtaining a history, conducting a physical examination, and completing a separate questionnaire. The derived variables were used to investigate the following domains of frailty: (1) cognitive function; (2) behavior; (3) activity; (4) body weight; (5) body condition score; (6) muscle condition score; (7) any unexplained changes in weight, cognitive function, or eating behavior; and (8) the number of chronic diseases identified in the cat. Some cats were followed prospectively for 6 months, and mortality during this period was compared with frailty status, as determined by the veterinarian.ResultsHalf (6/12) of the veterinary practices invited to participate successfully recruited 273 owner-cat pairs, with baseline questionnaire results obtained from 189 owners (69%) and veterinarian questionnaires obtained for 210 cats (77%). Of 122 cats having both owner and veterinarian questionnaire results, 45 (37%) were classified as frail by the owner and 51 (42%) by the veterinarian, with 28 (23%) classified as frail on both questionnaires. Of the cats with follow-up data, 13 of the 64 cats (20%) reported by veterinarians to be frail died or were euthanased during the 6-month follow-up, compared with only 1 of 54 cats (2%) that were not reported to be frail (Fisher's exact test P = 0.003).DiscussionDeveloping a brief feline frailty questionnaire (FFQ) was feasible, and the results of such assessments were associated with 6-month mortality. A larger definitive trial should be considered to explore further the (dis)agreement between owners and veterinarians and better understand which frailty signs owners might be missing. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-989a97a014d74219bbca8487101bd780 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2297-1769 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-989a97a014d74219bbca8487101bd7802025-08-20T02:01:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Veterinary Science2297-17692025-02-011210.3389/fvets.2025.15495661549566A non-randomized pilot study to test the feasibility of developing a frailty scale for pet catsElizabeth J. Colleran0Mikel M. Delgado1Yunyi Ren2Alexander J. German3Margaret E. Gruen4Danièlle A. Gunn-Moore5Kathleen Romanowski6Wendy Simpson7Christine Kirnos8Kathleen Keefe Ternes9Judy Karnia10Marybeth Temples11Sandra L. Taylor12Melissa Bain13C. A. Tony Buffington14Chico Hospital for Cats, Chico, CA, United StatesFeline Minds Cat Behavior Consulting, Sacramento, CA, United StatesDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United StatesInstitute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Neston, United KingdomDepartment of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United StatesThe Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Campus, Edinburgh, United KingdomDepartment of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United StatesMorrisville Cat Hospital, Morrisville, NC, United StatesThe Cat Hospital of Media, Media, PA, United States0The Feline Hospital, Salem, MA, United States1Scottsdale Cat Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, United States2Civic Feline Clinic, Walnut Creek, CA, United StatesDepartment of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States3Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States3Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United StatesIntroductionHuman frailty has long been studied and dozens of “frailty scales” have been developed, but equivalent research is more limited in cats. This pilot study aimed to determine the feasibility of recruiting and retaining veterinary practices and owners, collecting study data, and analyzing results about frailty in older cats.MethodsParticipating feline-exclusive practice veterinarians recruited cats aged 11–20 years, of either sex and of any breed. Owners completed a questionnaire about their cat and estimated its frailty. Study veterinarians also estimated the cat's frailty after obtaining a history, conducting a physical examination, and completing a separate questionnaire. The derived variables were used to investigate the following domains of frailty: (1) cognitive function; (2) behavior; (3) activity; (4) body weight; (5) body condition score; (6) muscle condition score; (7) any unexplained changes in weight, cognitive function, or eating behavior; and (8) the number of chronic diseases identified in the cat. Some cats were followed prospectively for 6 months, and mortality during this period was compared with frailty status, as determined by the veterinarian.ResultsHalf (6/12) of the veterinary practices invited to participate successfully recruited 273 owner-cat pairs, with baseline questionnaire results obtained from 189 owners (69%) and veterinarian questionnaires obtained for 210 cats (77%). Of 122 cats having both owner and veterinarian questionnaire results, 45 (37%) were classified as frail by the owner and 51 (42%) by the veterinarian, with 28 (23%) classified as frail on both questionnaires. Of the cats with follow-up data, 13 of the 64 cats (20%) reported by veterinarians to be frail died or were euthanased during the 6-month follow-up, compared with only 1 of 54 cats (2%) that were not reported to be frail (Fisher's exact test P = 0.003).DiscussionDeveloping a brief feline frailty questionnaire (FFQ) was feasible, and the results of such assessments were associated with 6-month mortality. A larger definitive trial should be considered to explore further the (dis)agreement between owners and veterinarians and better understand which frailty signs owners might be missing.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1549566/fullfelineseniorcomorbiditiesquality of lifeend of lifepalliative care |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth J. Colleran Mikel M. Delgado Yunyi Ren Alexander J. German Margaret E. Gruen Danièlle A. Gunn-Moore Kathleen Romanowski Wendy Simpson Christine Kirnos Kathleen Keefe Ternes Judy Karnia Marybeth Temples Sandra L. Taylor Melissa Bain C. A. Tony Buffington A non-randomized pilot study to test the feasibility of developing a frailty scale for pet cats Frontiers in Veterinary Science feline senior comorbidities quality of life end of life palliative care |
| title | A non-randomized pilot study to test the feasibility of developing a frailty scale for pet cats |
| title_full | A non-randomized pilot study to test the feasibility of developing a frailty scale for pet cats |
| title_fullStr | A non-randomized pilot study to test the feasibility of developing a frailty scale for pet cats |
| title_full_unstemmed | A non-randomized pilot study to test the feasibility of developing a frailty scale for pet cats |
| title_short | A non-randomized pilot study to test the feasibility of developing a frailty scale for pet cats |
| title_sort | non randomized pilot study to test the feasibility of developing a frailty scale for pet cats |
| topic | feline senior comorbidities quality of life end of life palliative care |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1549566/full |
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