Effect of Deutectomy, Fasting and Environmental Temperature on Free Fatty Acid Concentration in the Blood Plasma of Chickens in the First Week after Hatching

Effects of food intake, fasting, environmental temperature and deutectomy on plasma free fatty acids (FFA) were investigated in 210 sexed Shaver Starcross cockerels in the first week after hatching. At the end of hatching the FFA concentration in plasma of chickens was 1.0 ± 0.2 mmoh l-". During the 2-hour long transport it increased. On the other hand, upon I-hour long exposure to 18°C a decrease was noted in plasma FFA concentration in chicks exposed to cold both before and after transport as against the values found at 35°C. The intact fed birds aged 2,3 and 4 days showed no changes, whereas a substantial increase in plasma FFA to values exceeding those of the first day were found in birds aged 5 days. Chickens deprived of food and held at 35°C and those exposed to 18 "C showed higher plasma FFA concentrations than fed birds. It is suggested that fasting results in mobilization of lipid stores shortly after hatching whereas upon exposure to cold thermoregulation mechanisms operative in adults seem not to operate till the end of the first week after hatching

Cats in Czech Rural and Urban Households

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of rural and urban environments on the coexistence of humans and their cats. From the obtained questionnaire data we selected the rural cats (R, n = 54) and compared them with urban cats (U, n = 144). The R group cats lived predominantly in family houses, U cats in urban apartments. The pressures of physical and social factors in the small niches of urban apartments (dwellings in Czech urban high-density living settings, though comfortable, are smaller than in numerous European countries; they prevailed in our U group) resulted in statistically significant differences in only 31 (51.7%) out of 60 traits under study. Among them, 15 (68.2%) out of 22 concerned the conduct of household members, and 16 (42.1%) out of 38 concerned the behaviour of their cats. Thus the conduct of people in U households showed relatively higher proportion of changes than the behaviour of their cats. U onwers more frequently purchased their cats (R = 24.1%, U = 48.6%, chi-square = 10.648, df = 4, p < 0.05), they kept the cat pedigrees (R = 37.0%, U = 75.4%, chisquare = 24.661, df = 1, p < 0.001), paid more attention to their cats ((R = 93.0%, U = 100.0%, chi-square = 8.950, df = 1, p < 0.005), talked to them daily (R = 87.0%, U = 98.6%, chi-square = 12.024, df = 1, p < 0.001), allowed them to use furniture (R = 77.8%, U = 100.0%, chi-square = 33.839, df = 1, p < 0.001), sleep in beds of family members (R = 61.1%, U = 95.1%, chi-square = 37.149, df = 1, p < 0.001), and celebrated their birthdays (R = 25.9%, U = 100.0%, chi-square = 7.014, df = 2, p < 0.05). Their cats were more destructive than R cats, hunted less and were less aggressive when stroked. However, they showed a slightly larger scope of aggressive behaviours and were more frequently described as nervous and restless. The nature of the significant differences found in this study indicates that the co-existence of cats with people in the urbanized world is becoming more intimate. More interactions occur between the two species. The relationships between people and their cats deserve further study not only in order to gain more insight but also for a practical application of this knowledge