Data From: Light and Dark Fur Cats - Total Body Scores

Limited data exists within the forensic veterinary medicine discipline about the differences between the decomposition of animals with fur. Due to the sheer number of animals used as animal models and the number of animals that exist, determining the stages of decomposition that is applicable for all species is difficult. Typically, assessing what stage of decomposition a decedent is in is subjective due to the visual assessment of decompositional changes. A method developed to rectify this issue was the total body score (TBS) method, which assigns a numerical value based of the degree of decomposition to the head, torso, and limbs. The purpose of this study was to examine the decomposition of cats, identify any unique decomposition characteristics, and determine the rate of decomposition using total body score and accumulated degree days (ADD). Twelve domestic short haired cats were placed in a grassy field in West Lafayette, IN. An assessment of TBS was documented for each cat and each experimental group. An exponential relationship between TBS and ADD was documented. Overall, there was not a significant difference in the rate of decomposition or total body scores between the groups (Z = -91.00, p = 0.0672).