Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Sheltering

Question	Answer
Recommended air exchange rate	10 - 20 exchanges per hour
Cat housing minimal recommended	Two feet of triangulated distance between litter, resting, food
Cat housing recommendations beyond the minimum	- 11 sq feet shown to cause less stress than 5.3 sq feet -Cat Fanciers’ Assc. recommends minimum of 30 cubic feet per cat -Shelters should strive to exceed these dimensions, particularly as LOS increases
What are the five freedoms?	1. Freedom from hunger and thirst 2. Freedom from discomfort 3. Freedom from pain, injury, disease 4. Freedom to express species-normal behavior 5. Freedom from fear and distress
Recommended ambient temperature	60 - 80°F 15.5 - 26.6°C
Recommended relative humidity	30 - 70%
Air circulation for iso dogs	Must be separate from the rest of the facility
Air circulation/spacing for iso cats	Separate air circulation is not crucial as cats do not readily aerosolize their pathogens. Cages facing each other should be >4’ apart
Considerations for lighting in animal areas	-Offer as much natural light as possible -Artificial light should closely approximate natural light in duration and intensity and support circadian rhythms
Type of music shown to decrease barking	Classical
Type of music shown to increase barking	Heavy Metal
Minimum time for care per animal per day	15 minutes - 9 for cleaning, 6 for feeding

Resource summary

	Created by Emily Anne Keegans almost 4 years ago