{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T04:55:34Z","timestamp":1776142534954,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776124800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Understanding the factors affecting long-term stress in domestic cats is essential for welfare assessment, and hair cortisol concentration has been proposed as a promising biomarker for this purpose. This study investigated hair cortisol concentrations in intact, privately owned cats (\n                    <jats:italic>Felis silvestris catus<\/jats:italic>\n                    ), with emphasis on physical and behavioral factors, as well as housing conditions. Hair samples were collected from 103 cats (40 males, 63 females) during routine preparation of the surgical field under general anesthesia prior to neutering. In females, samples were collected from the abdominal region along the\n                    <jats:italic>linea alba<\/jats:italic>\n                    , whereas in males, hair was taken from the area surrounding the scrotum. Information about the cats was collected from their owners, who completed a brief questionnaire covering the cats\u2019 basic characteristics and lifestyle. Cortisol extraction from hair and subsequent quantification were performed using a commercially available ELISA kit. The overall mean hair cortisol concentration detected in the 103 cats was 9.99\u202fpg.\/mg. Age, breed, coat type, coat color, and season of hair collection had no significant effect on cats\u2019 hair cortisol levels (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;gt;\u202f0.05). However, sex was found to significantly influence hair cortisol concentration, with male cats exhibiting higher cortisol levels. Environmental and behavioral factors in cats were not found to significantly affect hair cortisol concentrations. These findings suggest that long-term cortisol levels in intact, privately owned cats may be influenced more by inherent individual traits than by environmental or behavioral factors, indicating a need for further research in this area.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2026.1814440","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T04:21:29Z","timestamp":1776140489000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Factors affecting hair cortisol concentration in privately owned intact cats"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Veronika","family":"Vojtkovsk\u00e1","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno","place":["Brno, Czechia"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Na\u010fa","family":"Kone\u010dn\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno","place":["Brno, Czechia"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Karla","family":"\u0160t\u011bp\u00e1nkov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno","place":["Brno, Czechia"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Monika","family":"\u0160eb\u00e1nkov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno","place":["Brno, Czechia"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Simona","family":"Kova\u0159\u00edkov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Protection and Welfare and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno","place":["Brno, Czechia"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S261\u2013S281","DOI":"10.1134\/S207908642560078X","article-title":"Determining cortisol in animal hair as a marker of chronic stress","volume":"15","author":"Samsonova","year":"2025","journal-title":"Biol Bull Rev"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"403","DOI":"10.1006\/anbe.2001.1907","article-title":"A novel method using hair for determining hormonal levels in wildlife","volume":"63","author":"Koren","year":"2002","journal-title":"Anim Behav"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19631","DOI":"10.1038\/srep19631","article-title":"Hair cortisol varies with season and lifestyle and relates to human interactions in German shepherd dogs","volume":"6","author":"Roth","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"545","DOI":"10.3390\/antiox12030545","article-title":"Dietary strategies for relieving stress in pet dogs and cats","volume":"12","author":"Fan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Antioxidants"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"589","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psyneuen.2011.09.009","article-title":"Hair cortisol as a biological marker of chronic stress: current status, future directions and unanswered questions","volume":"37","author":"Russell","year":"2012","journal-title":"Psychoneuroendocrinology"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"19","DOI":"10.1016\/0379-0738(93)90256-A","article-title":"Mechanisms of drug incorporation into hair","volume":"63","author":"Henderson","year":"1993","journal-title":"Forensic Sci Int"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1332","DOI":"10.1096\/fj.04-1968fje","article-title":"Human hair follicles display a functional equivalent of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and synthesize cortisol","volume":"19","author":"Ito","year":"2005","journal-title":"FASEB J"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.3390\/life11020081","article-title":"Hair cortisol concentration as a biomarker of sleep quality and related disorders","volume":"11","author":"El Mlili","year":"2021","journal-title":"Life"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ygcen.2018.09.016","article-title":"The use of hair cortisol for the assessment of stress in animals","volume":"270","author":"Heimb\u00fcrge","year":"2019","journal-title":"Gen Comp Endocrinol"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3096","DOI":"10.3390\/ani12223096","article-title":"Stress concepts and applications in various matrices with a focus on hair cortisol and analytical methods","volume":"12","author":"Ghassemi Nejad","year":"2022","journal-title":"Animals"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4120","DOI":"10.1210\/en.2012-1226","article-title":"Hair cortisol: a novel biomarker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical activity","volume":"153","author":"Meyer","year":"2012","journal-title":"Endocrinology"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"702","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2020.565346","article-title":"Fur color and nutritional status predict hair cortisol concentrations of dogs in Nicaragua","volume":"7","author":"Bowland","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front Vet Sci"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5117","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-022-09140-w","article-title":"Evaluation of hair cortisol as an indicator of long-term stress responses in dogs in an animal shelter and after subsequent adoption","volume":"12","author":"van der Laan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2662","DOI":"10.1111\/jvim.16283","article-title":"Evaluation of hair and nail cortisol concentrations and associations with behavioral, physical, and environmental indicators of chronic stress in cats","volume":"35","author":"Contreras","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Vet Intern Med"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"21846","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-73226-w","article-title":"Hair cortisol concentrations in clipped and combed hair and associations with characteristics, health status and stress in domestic cats","volume":"14","author":"Rothlin-Zachrisson","year":"2024","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7391","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-019-43851-x","article-title":"Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners","volume":"9","author":"Sundman","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1076","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rvsc.2013.07.023","article-title":"Cortisol levels in cats\u2019 hair in presence or absence of Microsporum canis infection","volume":"95","author":"Galuppi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Res Vet Sci"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"343","DOI":"10.1016\/j.physbeh.2009.11.014","article-title":"Cortisol levels and aggression in neutered and intact free-roaming female cats living in urban social groups","volume":"99","author":"Finkler","year":"2010","journal-title":"Physiol Behav"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1098612X221150624","DOI":"10.1177\/1098612X221150624","article-title":"Hair cortisol levels in cats with and without behavioral problems","volume":"25","author":"Wojta\u015b","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Feline Med Surg"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.7120\/09627286.28.4.389","article-title":"Hair cortisol concentrations, as a measure of chronic activity within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, is elevated in dogs farmed for meat, relative to pet dogs, in South Korea","volume":"28","author":"Maxwell","year":"2019","journal-title":"Anim Welf"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"401","DOI":"10.1071\/AN15622","article-title":"Hair cortisol and its potential value as a physiological measure of stress response in human and non-human animals","volume":"57","author":"Burnard","year":"2016","journal-title":"Anim Prod Sci"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"138","DOI":"10.1016\/j.livsci.2013.10.007","article-title":"Standardization of a non-invasive methodology to measure cortisol in hair of beef cattle","volume":"158","author":"Moya","year":"2013","journal-title":"Livest Sci"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7685","DOI":"10.3168\/jds.2014-8444","article-title":"Factors affecting hair cortisol concentrations in lactating dairy cows","volume":"97","author":"Burnett","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Dairy Sci"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ygcen.2015.09.022","article-title":"Effects of body region and time on hair cortisol concentrations in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)","volume":"223","author":"Carlitz","year":"2015","journal-title":"Gen Comp Endocrinol"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"coy037","DOI":"10.1093\/conphys\/coy037","article-title":"The effects of body region, season and external arsenic application on hair cortisol concentration","volume":"6","author":"Acker","year":"2018","journal-title":"Conserv Physiol"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/10888705.2025.2610233","article-title":"Stress in indoor and outdoor cats: association between hair cortisol levels, housing style, and guardians\u2019 perceptions of behavior","volume":"5","author":"Lima","year":"2026","journal-title":"J Appl Anim Welf Sci"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.1007\/s10344-019-1330-2","article-title":"Cortisol in hair: a comparison between wild and feral cats in the North-Eastern Alps","volume":"65","author":"Franchini","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur J Wildl Res"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1177\/10406387251384320","article-title":"Coat color and other factors influencing hair cortisol concentration in domestic cats","volume":"38","author":"Nutter","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Vet Diagn Invest"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.21521\/mw.6822","article-title":"Hair cortisol levels in cats before and during their first month at a homeless animal shelter","volume":"80","author":"Wojta\u015b","year":"2024","journal-title":"Med Weter"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1736","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psyneuen.2012.03.015","article-title":"Developmental patterns of hair cortisol in male and female nonhuman primates: lower hair cortisol levels in vervet males emerge at puberty","volume":"37","author":"Laudenslager","year":"2012","journal-title":"Psychoneuroendocrinology"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"cou026","DOI":"10.1093\/conphys\/cou026","article-title":"Quantifying long-term stress in brown bears with the hair cortisol concentration: a biomarker that may be confounded by rapid changes in response to capture and handling","volume":"2","author":"Cattet","year":"2014","journal-title":"Conserv Physiol"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0141489","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0141489","article-title":"Sex, diet, and the social environment: factors influencing hair cortisol concentration in free-ranging black bears (Ursus americanus)","volume":"10","author":"Lafferty","year":"2015","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0221124","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0221124","article-title":"Age, sex and storage time influence hair cortisol levels in a wild mammal population","volume":"14","author":"Azevedo","year":"2019","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.1016\/j.domaniend.2010.04.003","article-title":"Measuring cortisol in hair and saliva from dogs: coat color and pigment differences","volume":"39","author":"Bennett","year":"2010","journal-title":"Domest Anim Endocrinol"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"106768","DOI":"10.1016\/j.domaniend.2022.106768","article-title":"Coat color affects cortisol and serotonin levels in the serum and hairs of Holstein dairy cows exposed to cold winter","volume":"82","author":"Ghassemi Nejad","year":"2023","journal-title":"Domest Anim Endocrinol"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.18805\/IJAR.B-5221","article-title":"Studies on the assessment of hair cortisol concentration in dogs by radioimmunoassay (RIA)","author":"Galdhar","year":"2024","journal-title":"Indian J Anim Res"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"152","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1939-1676.2004.tb00154","article-title":"High urinary corticoid\/creatinine ratios in cats with hyperthyroidism","volume":"18","author":"de Lange","year":"2004","journal-title":"J Vet Intern Med"},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"733","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfms.2011.07.0","article-title":"Evaluation of the effects of hospital visit stress on physiologic parameters in the cat","volume":"13","author":"Quimby","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Feline Med Surg"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jveb.2007.09.003","article-title":"Adaptation of domestic cats to confinement","volume":"2","author":"Jongman","year":"2007","journal-title":"J Vet Behav"},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"705","DOI":"10.1177\/1098612X198779","article-title":"Conflict and affiliative behavior frequency between cats in multi-cat households: a survey-based study","volume":"22","author":"Elzerman","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Feline Med Surg"},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2012.10.014","article-title":"Effects of stressors on the behavior and physiology of domestic cats","volume":"143","author":"Stella","year":"2013","journal-title":"Appl Anim Behav Sci"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"278","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2018.00278","article-title":"Compatibility of cats with children in the family","volume":"5","author":"Hart","year":"2018","journal-title":"Front Vet Sci"},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104841","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2019.104841","article-title":"A systematic review of social and environmental factors and their implications for indoor cat welfare","volume":"220","author":"Foreman-Worsley","year":"2019","journal-title":"Appl Anim Behav Sci"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104919","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2019.104919","article-title":"Are cats less stressed in homes than in shelters? A study of personality and faecal cortisol metabolites","volume":"224","author":"Fukimoto","year":"2020","journal-title":"Appl Anim Behav Sci"},{"key":"ref45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applanim.2015.04.016","article-title":"The relationship between individual behavioral styles, dominance rank and cortisol levels of cats living in urban social groups","volume":"173","author":"Finkler","year":"2015","journal-title":"Appl Anim Behav Sci"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Veterinary Science"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1814440\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T04:21:29Z","timestamp":1776140489000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1814440\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]]},"references-count":45,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fvets.2026.1814440"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1814440","relation":{},"ISSN":["2297-1769"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2297-1769","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]]},"article-number":"1814440"}}