ArticleAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI2025
Understanding the Influence of Early-Life Stressors on Social Interaction, Telomere Length, and Hair Cortisol Concentration in Homeless Kittens.
Article in Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- A Bayesian analysis of variables causally associated with hair cortisol concentration in dogs with obesity.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The early postnatal period is a critical neurodevelopmental stage characterized by rapid neural maturation and is adversely affected by early-life stressors. This study explored the behavioural, physiological, and epigenetic consequences of early-life stress in a population of homeless rescue kittens. This longitudinal study included 50 kittens rescued and placed into foster care by the Prince Edward Island Humane Society. They underwent behavioural testing at 8, 10, and 12 weeks of age. Hair cortisol concentration was measured at 8 weeks and served as a physiological marker of the previous 3 months' cumulative stress response, which, for these kittens, included the late gestation period. A blood sample for relative telomere length measurement was taken at 10-12 weeks to estimate epigenetic changes as young kittens. Data were analyzed with respect to age and performance in all repeated measures tests, status as a stray or a surrender, and the presence of the dam in their foster homes. As expected, the performance of kittens in all tests changed over the 5 weeks of testing. Kittens separated from their mothers exhibited significantly higher hair cortisol concentrations (
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