Nadine Gourkow is the BC SPCA's Companion Animal Welfare Manager and a certified Companion Animal Behaviour Counselor.

In 2001, the University of British Columbia granted Nadine her masters for the thesis: "Factors affecting the welfare and adoption rate of cats in an animal shelter." This research initiated the development of the Hide, Perch & Go Box™. http://www.absaustralia.com.au/hide-perch-go/hide-perch-go.htm

The BC SPCA's Cat Welfare Enhancement Program
http://www.spca.bc.ca/hideperchgo/default.asp
The 2-hour training video is a presentation conducted by Nadine Gourkow, BC SPCA Animal Welfare Manager, on the concepts of cat welfare in a shelter environment and the intervention strategies and procedures to improve welfare for cats. Gourkow's knowledge of cat welfare is internationally recognized and it is Gourkow's extensive research that led to the creation of the Hide, Perch & Go box.

http://www.spca.bc.ca/hideperchgo/CatSenseSciRes.asp

CatSense Science & Research
Nadine Gourkow is the BC SPCA's Companion Animal Welfare Manager and a certified Companion Animal Behaviour Counselor. In 1999, under the supervision of Dr. David Fraser, Nadine conducted research at the BC SPCA Vancouver shelter for her masters thesis. She tested the effect of different housing and handling practices on the welfare and adoption of cats in a shelter environment. In 2001, the University of British Columbia granted Nadine her masters for the thesis: “Factors affecting the welfare and adoption rate of cats in an animal shelter.” This research initiated the creation of the BC SPCA Hide, Perch & Go box and the development of the BC SPCA CatSense System.

The Results When Implemented at the BC SPCA

- Increased adoptions (by 30%)

- Shorter pre-adoption time (6 days compared to 13)

- Reduced rates of sickness and euthanasia (15% decrease in illness)

- Improvement of general welfare with daily monitoring of cats in the shelter by volunteers and staff

- Increased satisfaction of adopters with having the Hide, Perch & Go box for us in the home to transition cats.

Nadine is currently a PhD candidate at the Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics in the Faculty of Veterinary Science Medicine at the University of Queensland in Australia. Her non-invasive research initially examined the relationship between emotional states and mucosal immune response in shelter cats. Her current study examines the effectiveness of behavioural interventions to increase positive emotions and immune response. The knowledge uncovered will be translated into practical, cost effective practices to increase both the mental health of shelter cats and reduce the rate of URI.

To view Nadine's and UBC Professor in Animal Welfare, Dr. David Fraser's paper, "The effect of housing and handling practices on the welfare, behaviour and selection of domestic cats by adopters in an animal shelter," http://www.spca.bc.ca/hideperchgo/gourkow_fraser_06.pdf

Abstract
As adult cats can often be difficult to re-home, they may spend long periods in rescue shelters where barren housing and inconsistent handling can reduce their welfare. In this study, 165 adult cats in an animal shelter in Vancouver, Canada, were assigned to four treatments. The Basic Single treatment reflected typical conditions in that particular shelter, with cats handled in an inconsistent manner by various staff and housed singly in relatively barren cages. Three alternative treatments involved more consistent, positive handling by only the experimenter and research assistants, plus three housing conditions: Enriched Single (individual cages with opportunities to perch and hide), Basic Communal (group housing with opportunity for each cat to have personal space), and Enriched Communal (group housing enriched to encourage play and cat – cat interaction). The Basic Single treatment had the lowest percentage adopted in 21 days (45% versus 69-76% for other treatment, and higher stress scores than other treatments. The three alternative treatments did not differ significantly on any measure. Cats euthanised for poor health showed higher stress levels when alive than other cats. In a questionnaire, most adopters cited certain behavioural/emotional traits (‘friendly’, ‘playful’, ‘happy’) as reasons for selecting cats; these were generally associated with lower stress scores.

The results suggest that consistent handling combined with a range of improved housing options can improve the chances of adoption for adult cats, perhaps by reducing fear related behaviours that make cats less attractive to adopters.

http://www.spca.bc.ca/hideperchgo/gourkow_fraser_06.pdf