A recent study came to the conclusion that “using slightly more advanced lighting design and control, shelters can potentially improve the visual experience for cats.” And in improving the visual experience the shelter can improve the general welfare of the cats as the desired lighting effect is to mimic daylight.
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Obviously, the cats are constantly inside a shelter in an artificial environment with artificial lighting. This can affect their circadian rhythms based upon exposure to daylight. Like humans cats have natural circadian rhythms. Proper lighting can help to reinforce these rhythms which can have a positive impact on their overall well-being.
Exposure to natural light during the day and darkness at night can help to regulate their sleep-wake cycles and other physiological processes.
The study entitled, “A framework for optimising lighting in animal shelters for domestic cats”, looked at methods “to enable designers to optimise lighting conditions for domestic cats in animal shelters.”
They developed “an optimisation framework that controls the spectral power distribution of light sources”. Spectral power distribution refers to the quality of the light source and how it renders colours. Artificial light sources can be of various types such as neon lights and tungsten lights. My understanding of this study is that artificial lighting replicating natural daylight is preferable and that it is turned off and turned on in synchronisation with natural daylight to lock into a domestic cat’s circadian rhythms.
Google Gemini tells us that “Artificial lighting is quite important in cat shelters for their well-being, but it can’t replace natural light”. It adds that “Shelters should try to maximise natural light with windows, skylights and even catios”.
As shelters can’t solely rely on natural light, “Artificial lighting is essential during off-sunlight hours and in areas without windows [but] LED lights are ideal as they don’t flicker or buzz, which can be disruptive to cats with their sensitive hearing. [Also] allowing shelters to adjust light levels for cleaning, adoption hours, and calmer periods for the cats to rest [is desirable].”
Natural light should be prioritised and supported by appropriate artificial lighting to create “a more comfortable and healthy environment for cats”.
Proper lighting can also help to minimise stress and shelter cats as it can help to provide comfortable hiding spots. We know that the shelter environment is stressful for rescue cats.
Good lighting can also make the environment more enriched which can lead to healthier and more contented cats which in turn can assist in their adoption.
In summary, artificial lighting at cat shelters should be considered carefully and where possible controlled in as a sophisticated way as possible to make the shelter environment as natural as possible to the benefit of the rescue cats’ health and welfare and their adaptability.
Study citation: Kendall Baertlein et al 2024 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 1320 012017DOI 10.1088/1755-1315/1320/1/012017
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