Articles Related to Ownership
The Human –Cat Relationship, Myths/Superstitions and its Consequences on Cat Ownership in Maiduguri, Northeastern Nigeria
A survey was designed to determine the human-cat relationship, myths/superstition and its consequences on cat ownership in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Close ended structured questionnaires were administered to 200 households randomly selected from four wards in Maiduguri. The response rate was 98.0%. Out of the 200 households, 196 (98.0%) participated, while 4 (2.0%) did not. Of the 196 households that took part in the survey, 168 (84.0%) owned cats while 28 (14.0%) did not. A total of 310 cats were owned by the 168 participating households. Elderly women owned 55.5% of the cats, while children and young ladies owned 35.0% and 3.5% respectively. Only 1 cat was neutered, while the remaining 309 (99.7%) were intact. The cats were kept for the purpose of companionship and rodent control. All the cats were of non-specific breed and had never been vaccinated against any specific disease(s). Some cat owners in Maiduguri believed in myths/superstitions associated with the domestic house cat. However, it was concluded that households in Maiduguri viewed keeping cats positively but did not provide the expected housing, feeding and medications as practiced in more advanced countries.