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Pyott ML, Norris DR, Mitchell GW, Custode L, Gow EA. Home range size and habitat selection of owned outdoor domestic cats ( Felis catus) in urban southwestern Ontario. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17159. [PMID: 38562997 PMCID: PMC10984174 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Domestic cats (Felis catus) play a dual role in society as both companion animals and predators. When provided with unsupervised outdoor access, cats can negatively impact native wildlife and create public health and animal welfare challenges. The effective implementation of management strategies, such as buffer zones or curfews, requires an understanding of home range size, the factors that influence their movement, and the types of habitats they use. Here, we used a community/citizen scientist approach to collect movement and habitat use data using GPS collars on owned outdoor cats in the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge-Guelph region, southwestern Ontario, Canada. Mean (± SD) 100% minimum convex polygon home range size was 8 ± 8 ha (range: 0.34-38 ha) and was positively associated with road density but not with intrinsic factors such as boldness, sex, or age. With regards to habitat selection, cats used greenspaces, roads, and agricultural land less often than predicted but strongly selected for impervious surfaces (urban areas other than greenspaces or roads). Our results suggest that wildlife near buildings and residential areas are likely at the greatest risk of cat predation and that a buffer size of 840 m would be needed to restrict cats from entering areas of conservation concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlee L. Pyott
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - D. Ryan Norris
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Greg W. Mitchell
- Department of Integrative Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leonardo Custode
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth A. Gow
- Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
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Mullineaux E, Pawson C. Trends in Admissions and Outcomes at a British Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre over a Ten-Year Period (2012-2022). Animals (Basel) 2023; 14:86. [PMID: 38200817 PMCID: PMC10778305 DOI: 10.3390/ani14010086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Millions of animals pass through wildlife rehabilitation centres (WRCs) globally each year, some dying in captivity, others euthanised, and some released into the wild. Those caring for these animals are generally well-intentioned, but skills, knowledge, and resources may be limited, potentially compromising animal welfare. WRC databases provide an opportunity to provide an evidence base for treatment and conservation efforts. 42,841 records of animals admitted over a 10-year period to a British WRC were analysed. More birds (69.16%) were admitted than mammals (30.48%) and reptiles and amphibians (0.36%). Most admissions were in the summer (48.8%) and spring (26.0%) months. A total of 9 of the 196 species seen made up 57% of admissions, and hedgehogs were the most common species admitted (14% of all admissions and 20% of mammals). Juvenile animals (35.5%) were admitted more frequently than 'orphans' (26.0%) or adults (26.4%). 'Orphaned' was also the predominant reason for admission (28.3%), followed by 'injured' (25.5%). 42.6% of animals were eventually released back to the wild, 19.2% died in captivity, and 37.2% were euthanised; 1% of outcomes were unknown. The prognosis was better for orphaned animals than for those admitted because of injury. Unexpected natural deaths in captivity were found to decline over the period of study, consistent with improved early triage. These findings can be used to focus veterinary and WRC training and seasonal resources on the species and case types most likely to be successfully rehabilitated and released. The findings also have the potential to contribute to our understanding of anthropogenic impacts, historical and regional variations in ecosystem health, and resultant implications for animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Mullineaux
- Capital Veterinary Services Ltd., Haddington, East Lothian EH41 4JN, UK
- Secret World Wildlife Rescue, Highbridge, Somerset TA9 3PZ, UK
| | - Chris Pawson
- Department of Animal and Agriculture, Hartpury University, Hartpury, Gloucestershire GL19 3BE, UK;
- College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK
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Ma GC, McLeod LJ, Zito SJ. Characteristics of cat semi-owners. J Feline Med Surg 2023; 25:1098612X231194225. [PMID: 37751179 PMCID: PMC10812031 DOI: 10.1177/1098612x231194225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Unowned 'stray' domestic cats threaten wildlife, as well as create a community nuisance and contribute to high rates of euthanasia in animal shelters. These cats can experience poor welfare, contribute to the pet cat population and compromise attempts to control feral cats. However, many unowned domestic cats are cared for by semi-owners who do not consider they own these cats; therefore, semi-owners are a potentially important target population for human behaviour change interventions. The present study aimed to describe the characteristics of cat semi-owners and compare these with the general population of cat owners and non-cat owners to inform future cat management interventions. METHODS An online questionnaire open to all residents of New South Wales, Australia was developed and advertised. Respondents were asked 'do you care for other free-roaming or stray cats (not including the cats you own)?', whether they owned cats, about characteristics of their home and their agreement with 15 capability, social opportunity and motivation (COM) items relating to cat containment. RESULTS Questionnaire responses were received from 8708 people, including 588 semi-owners (7%). Semi-owners were significantly more likely to be female, live in urban areas, live in lower socioeconomic areas and rent their home. Most semi-owners also owned their own cats and owned more cats than non-semi-owners. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Semi-owners of unowned 'stray' cats are a valuable potential target audience for human behaviour change interventions. Understanding that these semi-owners often have their own cats, might already be overwhelmed with cat-caring responsibilities and are disproportionately from lower socioeconomic backgrounds should guide intervention design. A nuanced approach is needed that prioritises the wellbeing of cats and semi-owners for semi-owners to 'buy in'. Any intervention should also recognise that semi-owners often face multiple, complex barriers to neutering or claiming ownership of the cats they care for, especially cost, and trust in the authorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma C Ma
- RSPCA New South Wales, Yagoona, NSW, Australia
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lynette J McLeod
- School of Psychology, Speech & Hearing, The University of Canterbury, Canterbury, NSW, Australia
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Davey IJL, Westman ME, Van der Saag D, Ma GC, Kennedy BPA. Spatial and Temporal Movements of Free-Roaming Cats and Wildlife in Two Local Government Areas in Greater Sydney, Australia. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13101711. [PMID: 37238141 DOI: 10.3390/ani13101711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Free-roaming cats pose a risk to their own health and welfare, as well as to the health and welfare of wildlife and humans. This study aimed to monitor and quantify area-specific free-roaming cat movement. Two local government areas (LGAs) in Greater Sydney were included, Campbelltown (CT) and the Blue Mountains (BM). Motion-capture cameras were installed on 100 volunteer properties (50 per LGA) to indirectly capture animal movements over two months. Transect drives were completed eight times (four per LGA) to directly observe roaming cats in residential areas. The cameras and transects both identified higher free-roaming cat numbers in CT (density of 0.31 cats per ha, resulting in an estimated abundance of 361 cats in the 1604 ha of residential area) than the BM (density of 0.21 cats per ha, resulting in an estimated abundance of 3365 cats in the 10,000 ha of residential area). More wildlife events were captured in the BM (total = 5580) than CT (total = 2697). However, there was no significant difference between CT and the BM for cat events (p = 0.11) or wildlife events (p = 0.32) observed via the cameras. Temporally, cats were observed via the cameras throughout the entire day with peaks at 9:30 am and 8:00 pm in the BM, and 7:00 am and 12:00 pm in CT. Overlaps in activity times were recorded for free-roaming cats with bandicoots (BM), possums (BM), and small mammals (BM and CT). This study demonstrates that camera monitoring on private property and transect drives are useful methods to quantify free-roaming cat abundance to inform cat management interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella J L Davey
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Mark E Westman
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Dominique Van der Saag
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Gemma C Ma
- School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) NSW, Yagoona, NSW 2199, Australia
| | - Brooke P A Kennedy
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
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5
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Ma GC, McLeod LJ. Understanding the Factors Influencing Cat Containment: Identifying Opportunities for Behaviour Change. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13101630. [PMID: 37238060 DOI: 10.3390/ani13101630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
There are over 5 million pet cats in Australia managed on a spectrum from fully indoors to completely outdoor free roaming. Roaming cats threaten biodiversity, can create a nuisance and are at risk of accidents and injury. Hence, there is substantial interest in behaviour change interventions to increase cat containment. An online questionnaire collected information on cat owner demographics, the number of cats owned, current containment behaviours and an agreement with 15 capability, opportunity and motivation (COM) items. Responses were received from 4482 cat owners. More than half (65%) indicated that they currently keep their cat(s) fully contained. Another 24% practiced a night curfew. Owners' psychological capability had the greatest influence on containment behaviour. Motivation (community- and cat welfare-framed), living in an apartment and renting were also associated with a greater likelihood of containment. Cat owners not currently containing their cats could be divided into six profiles who differed on agreement with COM themes, age, future intentions, current behaviour, location and gender. Understanding differences between cat owner segments can assist with designing behaviour change interventions. Increasing cat owners' psychological capability to contain their cats and encouraging the adoption of a night curfew as a first step towards 24 h containment are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma C Ma
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
- Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals New South Wales, Yagoona, NSW 2199, Australia
| | - Lynette J McLeod
- School of Psychology, Speech & Hearing, The University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
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Rand J, Ahmadabadi Z, Norris J, Franklin M. Attitudes and Beliefs of a Sample of Australian Dog and Cat Owners towards Pet Confinement. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1067. [PMID: 36978608 PMCID: PMC10044240 DOI: 10.3390/ani13061067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Most cats and dogs entering Australian animal shelters and municipal facilities are classed as strays, typically from low socio-economic areas. Contemporary practices increasingly focus on proactively reducing the number of stray animals, which requires further understanding of factors associated with straying animals, including pet confinement. Australian cat and dog owners (n = 2103) were surveyed to investigate attitudes towards four types of pet confinement and how these were influenced by social norms, demographics and concerns about pet quality of life and potential wildlife predation. Dog owners showed the strongest support for confining dogs to the owners’ property whenever unsupervised (98% agreement) and less support for confining dogs inside the house at night (54% agreement), and only 23% believed dogs had a negative impact on wildlife. Cat owners showed the strongest support for confining cats inside the house at night (89% agreement). Cat owners’ non-supportive attitudes towards cat confinement were partly because of higher concern for cat quality of life and lower concern about their cats’ predation behaviours, compared to non-cat owners. The findings provide valuable information to inform more effective strategies to reduce stray animals which would reduce shelter admissions, euthanasia, costs, nuisance issues, potential wildlife predation and negative mental health impacts of euthanasia on staff. Strategies to reduce strays include assisting low-income pet owners to install effective fencing and programs to increase identification. Informing cat owners about bedtime feeding is recommended to assist with night containment, and providing high-intensity free sterilization of owned and semi-owned cats targeted to areas of high cat impoundments is also recommended.
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Fardell LL, Pavey CR, Dickman CR. Influences of roaming domestic cats on wildlife activity in patchy urban environments. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1123355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) are recognised as a threat to wildlife globally. Yet management of pet cats in urbanised areas is not regularly mandated, and management of feral cats in urbanised areas is rarely implemented. Mounting evidence emphasises the value of urban environments as hot spots of wildlife activity, which as the human population continues to grow may become the best or only habitats available to some wildlife species. Wildlife in urban environments must navigate introduced stressors that can compound with natural stressors. Additional, often novel, predators such as free-roaming pet and feral cats that are prevalent in urban environments could have high nonconsumptive fear/stress impacts on urban wildlife that influence their activity and adversely affect their health and reproduction capabilities, possibly more so than direct predation effects do. Cat roaming activity, particularly that of pet cats, could be managed with the support of the community, though motivation needs to be ensured. Understanding if roaming cat activity influences urban wildlife activity via perceived fear/stress impacts will help to build community motivation for the need for domestic cat management in urbanised areas. Using infrared motion sensor cameras positioned in both yards and green space edge habitats, we observed whether the presence and times active of native and introduced small mammals, and native birds, were impacted by domestic cat activity within a 24-h period and by their activity in the prior-24-h period. We found evidence of cat roaming activity during the hours of most wildlife activity, and show that wildlife navigated “landscapes of fear” relative to cat activity, as wildlife observed across a 24-h period increased their activity in the absence of cats in the same 24-h period and in the previous 24-h period. We also tested if cat activity was relative to previous cat activity, or disturbances, and found that cats reduced activity in response to each, but were still consistently present. Our results provide justification for the need to increase management of domestic cats in urbanised areas and offer fear/stress impacts as a novel approach to engender community support of such management.
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Taylor AC, Wirsing AJ. turns 50. Wildlife Res 2023. [DOI: 10.1071/wr22191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Calver MC, Crawford HM, Scarff FR, Bradley JS, Dormon P, Boston S, Fleming PA. Intensive Adoption as a Management Strategy for Unowned, Urban Cats: A Case Study of 25 Years of Trap-Assess-Resolve (TAR) in Auckland, New Zealand. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12172301. [PMID: 36078020 PMCID: PMC9454951 DOI: 10.3390/ani12172301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, unowned urban cats are a major concern because they may suffer from poor welfare and cause problems, including public health risks, nuisances, and urban wildlife predation. While management options are often presented as a choice between culling or trap−neuter−return (TNR), for 25 years, the Lonely Miaow (Inc.) charity in Auckland, New Zealand (hereafter LM), has used a third strategy—intensive adoption or trap−assess−resolve (TAR). As of 2019, of 14,611 unowned cats trapped, 64.2% were adopted, 22.2% were euthanized if unsocialised or in grave ill-health, 5.7% were neutered and returned to the site, and 7.9% had other outcomes, such as being transferred to other shelters. Adoption rates increased over this time, exceeding 80.0% in 2018 and 2019. The cost of processing each cat from capture to adoption rose from NZD 58 in 1999 to NZD 234 by 2017. Approximately 80% of colonies (sites where cats were trapped) were around residential areas. Approximately 22% of cats required veterinary treatment after capture; common ailments included respiratory infections, ringworm, dental problems, and trauma. Consistently, 52% of cats were young kittens (<10 weeks old), c. 80% of cats were <1 year old, and only c. 2% were estimated to be >5 years old. TAR avoids euthanasia where possible. Its effectiveness would be enhanced by fewer abandonments of owned cats and kittens, fitting within integrated strategies for the control of unowned cats involving community education. Cat adoptions improve the welfare of cats and, with appropriate husbandry, should alleviate concerns about nuisances, public health, and attacks on wildlife or the cats themselves, essentially benefitting the community and the cats. This case study is relevant to other cities around the world that are seeking to manage unowned cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Calver
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
- Correspondence:
| | - Heather M. Crawford
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Fiona R. Scarff
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - J. Stuart Bradley
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Peter Dormon
- Lonely Miaow Association, Lonely Miaow Association, 35a, Riddell Road, Glendowie, Auckland 1071, New Zealand
| | - Samantha Boston
- Lonely Miaow Association, Lonely Miaow Association, 35a, Riddell Road, Glendowie, Auckland 1071, New Zealand
| | - Patricia A. Fleming
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
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Verrelli BC, Alberti M, Des Roches S, Harris NC, Hendry AP, Johnson MTJ, Savage AM, Charmantier A, Gotanda KM, Govaert L, Miles LS, Rivkin LR, Winchell KM, Brans KI, Correa C, Diamond SE, Fitzhugh B, Grimm NB, Hughes S, Marzluff JM, Munshi-South J, Rojas C, Santangelo JS, Schell CJ, Schweitzer JA, Szulkin M, Urban MC, Zhou Y, Ziter C. A global horizon scan for urban evolutionary ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:1006-1019. [PMID: 35995606 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Research on the evolutionary ecology of urban areas reveals how human-induced evolutionary changes affect biodiversity and essential ecosystem services. In a rapidly urbanizing world imposing many selective pressures, a time-sensitive goal is to identify the emergent issues and research priorities that affect the ecology and evolution of species within cities. Here, we report the results of a horizon scan of research questions in urban evolutionary ecology submitted by 100 interdisciplinary scholars. We identified 30 top questions organized into six themes that highlight priorities for future research. These research questions will require methodological advances and interdisciplinary collaborations, with continued revision as the field of urban evolutionary ecology expands with the rapid growth of cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C Verrelli
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
| | - Marina Alberti
- Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Simone Des Roches
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nyeema C Harris
- Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab, Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Andrew P Hendry
- Department of Biology, Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C4, Canada
| | - Marc T J Johnson
- Department of Biology, Centre for Urban Environments, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Amy M Savage
- Department of Biology and Center for Computational & Integrative Biology, Rutgers University-Camden, Camden, NJ 08103, USA
| | | | - Kiyoko M Gotanda
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada; Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Lynn Govaert
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lindsay S Miles
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - L Ruth Rivkin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON L5L 1C6, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Kristin M Winchell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Kristien I Brans
- Department of Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cristian Correa
- Instituto de Conservación Biodiversidad y Territorio, Centro de Humedales Río Cruces, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 5090000, Chile
| | - Sarah E Diamond
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ben Fitzhugh
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nancy B Grimm
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Sara Hughes
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - John M Marzluff
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jason Munshi-South
- Louis Calder Center & Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Armonk, NY 10504, USA
| | - Carolina Rojas
- Instituto de Estudios Urbanos y Territoriales, Centro de Desarrollo Sustentable CEDEUS, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, El Comendador 1916, Providencia, 7500000, Santiago, Chile
| | - James S Santangelo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Christopher J Schell
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jennifer A Schweitzer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37917, USA
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mark C Urban
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Center of Biological Risk, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Yuyu Zhou
- Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Carly Ziter
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada
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Selinske MJ, Bekessy SA, Geary WL, Faulkner R, Hames F, Fletcher C, Squires ZE, Garrard GE. Projecting biodiversity benefits of conservation behavior-change programs. Conserv Biol 2022; 36:e13845. [PMID: 34622490 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity loss is driven by human behavior, but there is uncertainty about the effectiveness of behavior-change programs in delivering benefits to biodiversity. To demonstrate their value, the biodiversity benefits and cost-effectiveness of behavior changes that directly or indirectly affect biodiversity need to be quantified. We adapted a structured decision-making prioritization tool to determine the potential biodiversity benefits of behavior changes. As a case study, we examined two hypothetical behavior-change programs--wildlife gardening and cat containment--by asking experts to consider the behaviors associated with these programs that directly and indirectly affect biodiversity. We assessed benefits to southern brown bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus) and superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus) by eliciting from experts estimates of the probability of each species persisting in the landscape given a range of behavior-change scenarios in which uptake of the behaviors varied. We then compared these estimates to a business-as-usual scenario to determine the relative biodiversity benefit and cost-effectiveness of each scenario. Experts projected that the behavior-change programs would benefit biodiversity and that benefits would rise with increasing uptake of the target behaviors. Biodiversity benefits were also predicted to accrue through indirect behaviors, although experts disagreed about the magnitude of additional benefit provided. Scenarios that combined the two behavior-change programs were estimated to provide the greatest benefits to species and be most cost-effective. Our method could be used in other contexts and potentially at different scales and advances the use of prioritization tools to guide conservation behavior-change programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Selinske
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah A Bekessy
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - William L Geary
- Biodiversity Division, Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Integrative Ecology (Burwood Campus), School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Richard Faulkner
- Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Arthur Rylah Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Fern Hames
- Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Arthur Rylah Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Zoe E Squires
- Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Arthur Rylah Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Georgia E Garrard
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Ecosystems and Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Loss SR, Boughton B, Cady SM, Londe DW, McKinney C, O'Connell TJ, Riggs GJ, Robertson EP. Review and synthesis of the global literature on domestic cat impacts on wildlife. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1361-1372. [PMID: 35593055 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A vast global literature documents that free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) have substantial negative effects on wildlife, including through predation, fear, disease, and competition-related impacts that have contributed to numerous wildlife extinctions and population declines worldwide. However, no study has synthesized this literature on cat impacts on wildlife to evaluate its overarching biases and major gaps. To direct future research and conservation related to cat impacts on wildlife, we conducted a global literature review that entailed evaluation and synthesis of patterns and gaps in the literature related to the geographic context, methods, and types of impacts studied. Our systematic literature search compiled 2,245 publications. We extracted information from 332 of these meeting inclusion criteria designed to ensure the relevance of studies analyzed. This synthesis of research on cat impacts on wildlife highlights a focus on oceanic islands, Australia, Europe, and North America, and on rural areas, predation, impacts of unowned cats, and impacts at population and species levels. Key research advances needed to better understand and manage cat impacts include more studies in underrepresented, highly biodiverse regions (Africa, Asia, South America), on cat impacts other than predation, and on methods designed to reduce impacts on wildlife. The identified areas of needed research into cat impacts on wildlife will be critical to further clarifying the role of cats in global wildlife declines and to implementing science-driven policy and management that benefit conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott R Loss
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Brooke Boughton
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Samantha M Cady
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - David W Londe
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Caleb McKinney
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.,Department of Rangeland and Wildlife Science, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX, USA
| | - Timothy J O'Connell
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Georgia J Riggs
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | - Ellen P Robertson
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
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14
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Westman ME, Coggins SJ, van Dorsselaer M, Norris JM, Squires RA, Thompson M, Malik R. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in domestic pet cats in Australia and New Zealand: Guidelines for diagnosis, prevention and management. Aust Vet J 2022; 100:345-359. [PMID: 35578381 PMCID: PMC9546031 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Despite the passage of over 30 years since its discovery, the importance of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) on the health and longevity of infected domestic cats is hotly debated amongst feline experts. Notwithstanding the absence of good quality information, Australian and New Zealand (NZ) veterinarians should aim to minimise the exposure of cats to FIV. The most reliable way to achieve this goal is to recommend that all pet cats are kept exclusively indoors, or with secure outdoor access (e.g., cat enclosures, secure gardens), with FIV testing of any in‐contact cats. All animal holding facilities should aim to individually house adult cats to limit the spread of FIV infection in groups of animals that are stressed and do not have established social hierarchies. Point‐of‐care (PoC) FIV antibody tests are available in Australia and NZ that can distinguish FIV‐infected and uninfected FIV‐vaccinated cats (Witness™ and Anigen Rapid™). Although testing of whole blood, serum or plasma remains the gold standard for FIV diagnosis, PoC testing using saliva may offer a welfare‐friendly alternative in the future. PCR testing to detect FIV infection is not recommended as a screening procedure since a negative PCR result does not rule out FIV infection and is only recommended in specific scenarios. Australia and NZ are two of three countries where a dual subtype FIV vaccine (Fel‐O‐Vax® FIV) is available and offers a further avenue for disease prevention. Since FIV vaccination only has a reported field effectiveness of 56% in Australia, and possibly lower in NZ, FIV‐vaccinated cats should undergo annual FIV testing prior to annual FIV re‐vaccination using a suitable PoC kit to check infection has not occurred in the preceding year. With FIV‐infected cats, clinicians should strive to be even more thorough than usual at detecting early signs of disease. The most effective way to enhance the quality of life and life expectancy of FIV‐infected cats is to optimise basic husbandry and to treat any concurrent conditions early in the disease course. Currently, no available drugs are registered for the treatment of FIV infection. Critically, the euthanasia of healthy FIV‐infected cats, and sick FIV‐infected cats without appropriate clinical investigations, should not occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Westman
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - S J Coggins
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - J M Norris
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,The Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - R A Squires
- College of Public Health, Medical & Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - M Thompson
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - R Malik
- Centre for Veterinary Education, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Veterinary and Animal Science, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
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15
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Geiger M, Kistler C, Mattmann P, Jenni L, Hegglin D, Bontadina F. Colorful Collar-Covers and Bells Reduce Wildlife Predation by Domestic Cats in a Continental European Setting. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.850442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In many areas, domestic cats are the most abundant predators of small vertebrates. Due to the potential impact on prey populations by cats, there are calls to investigate the effectiveness of visual and acoustic cues as measures to reduce the cat’s hunting efficiency. In this study, we complement previous studies on the efficacy of Birdsbesafe collar-covers (BBScc) in a so far not investigated Continental European setting and explore the effectiveness in combination with a bell. We also evaluate the tolerability of these devices by the cat and the acceptance by their owners. With a randomized and comparative citizen science-based approach we collected data from 26 households with 31 study cats, which were wearing either a BBScc or both a BBScc and a bell. The BBScc reduced the number of birds brought home by 37% (probability of reduction of 88%). The number of mammals brought home was reduced by 54–62%, but only with the additional bell (probability of reduction of >99%). About one fourth of the birds that could be dissected were found to have collided with a hard object prior to having been brought home by the cats. Our results are in line with previous findings from Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom and highlight the great potential of visual and acoustic cues in reducing hunting success in domestic cats also in Continental Europe. On the other hand, our result show that the number of prey brought home by cats overestimates their hunting bag, if scavenging is not considered. The majority of cat owners reported that their cats habituated quickly to the BBScc. However, frequent scratching in some cats indicates that some individuals may not habituate. Most participating cat owners had a positive attitude toward the BBScc and said that they were willing to use it after the study. However, cat owners reported that their social environment (e.g., neighbors, family, friends) was relatively skeptical, which indicates a need for communication. To conclude, commercially available devices with visual and acoustic stimuli are straightforward and effective ways to mitigate the potentially harmful effect of domestic cats on wildlife.
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16
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Cordonnier M, Ferry N, Renaud E, Maurice A, Bonnaud E, Baudry E. Drivers of predation by pet cats: environment overcomes predator’s intrinsic characteristics. Urban Ecosyst. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01231-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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17
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18
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Beattie I, Schofer D, McGregor G, Lee MJ, Lee LKF, Himsworth CG, Byers KA. An Investigation of Bat Mortality in British Columbia, Canada. CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Identifying causes of wildlife mortality can yield an understanding of the factors that impact wildlife health. This is particularly significant for species that are facing population declines because this information can inform conservation and management practices. We evaluated causes of mortality for bats in British Columbia submitted to the provincial veterinary laboratory between 2015 and 2020, and assessed whether cause of death varied by species and/or was associated with bat characteristics (e.g., sex and body condition). Of the 275 bats included in this study, the most frequent cause of death was cat depredation (24%), followed by blunt force trauma (23%). Bats that died by cat depredation tended to be in good body condition as compared to those that died from other causes, and male bats were more likely to die from blunt force trauma compared with females. Emaciation was also an important cause of mortality (21%) and 8% of bats died due to rabies, with the greatest rabies prevalence in Eptesicus fuscus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1796). Our results demonstrate the potential burden of cat depredation on healthy bats and highlight the need for strategies to decrease cat depredation to support healthy bat populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imara Beattie
- University of Saskatchewan, 7235, Department of Pathology, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Delaney Schofer
- University of Saskatchewan, 7235, Department of Pathology, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Glenna McGregor
- Animal Health Centre, 113517, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael Joseph Lee
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
- The University of British Columbia, 8166, School of Population and Public Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa K. F. Lee
- University of Saskatchewan, 7235, Department of Pathology, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chelsea G Himsworth
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
- The University of British Columbia, 8166, School of Population and Public Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Animal Health Centre, 113517, British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kaylee Aileen Byers
- The University of British Columbia, 8166, School of Population and Public Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Animal Health Centre, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
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19
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Fardell LL, Nano CEM, Pavey CR, Dickman CR. Small Prey Animal Foraging Behaviors in Landscapes of Fear: Effects of Predator Presence and Human Activity Along an Urban Disturbance Gradient. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.805891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Urban environments provide the only or best habitats that are left for wildlife in many areas, promoting increased interest in urban conservation and a need to understand how wildlife cope with urban stressors, such as altered predator activity and human disturbance. Here, we used filmed giving-up density experiments to investigate behavioral coping responses of foraging small prey animals at three sites (close, mid, and far) along an urban disturbance gradient. Our study design included “natural” and experimentally added stressor cues of predators and/or human disturbance. We observed small mammal foraging behaviors, particularly: the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), northern brown bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus), brown antechinus (Antechinus stuartii), black rat (Rattus rattus), and brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), and to a lesser degree several species of native birds. We found that at the close urban-edge environment, coping responses to human disturbances were most pronounced, and predator cues from the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) were perceived as least risky. However, at the mid environment, red fox cues were perceived as most risky, especially when combined with human disturbance. At the far environment, domestic cat (Felis catus) cues were perceived as most risky, again when combined with human disturbance. Impacts from the combined stressors of predator and human disturbance cues appeared to be additive, with higher risk being perceived with increasing distance from urban build-up. Behavioral adjustments were observed to be the primary response to stressors by small prey animals in the close environment. In the mid environment, slight temporal shifts in activity across the night were more evident. In the far environment, habitat components were likely being used differently as the primary coping response to stressors. As mostly the same species were observed along the disturbance gradient, our results suggest a level of response plasticity that is calibrated to the level of exposure to a stressor and the stressor type. To maximize conservation outcomes in urban habitats, we therefore propose that management should be sensitive to the level and history of human disturbance, as this affects the coping responses of wildlife that remain.
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20
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Fardell LL, Pavey CR, Dickman CR. Backyard Biomes: Is Anyone There? Improving Public Awareness of Urban Wildlife Activity. Diversity 2022; 14:263. [DOI: 10.3390/d14040263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife are increasingly being found in urban habitats, and likely rely on some resources in suburban household yards, which exposes them to the effects of yard management and human and pet activities. We compared the relationships between these potential disturbances and benefits to the number of different types of wildlife sighted by householders, using written surveys. Owing to the inability of many household respondents to identify animals to the species or genus level, each different ‘type’ of animal individually listed was counted to generate the total number of types of wildlife observed by each household. We found that relatively more types of wildlife were observed by residents whose yards provided ease of faunal access under or through fences, had reduced pesticide use, increased levels of anthropogenic noise, and increased presence of pets in yards. The latter two associations likely relate to the increased opportunities to observe wildlife in yards that each creates. We also investigated the use of yards by wildlife and domestic pets in open compared to more vegetated habitats by day and night, using motion-sensor cameras. All animals observed were compared to the activity of introduced brown and black rats (Rattus norvegicus, R. rattus), owing to their wild origins but long commensal history with humans. Camera images indicated that animals’ natural activity periods were maintained in yards. Brown antechinuses (Antechinus stuartii), northern brown bandicoots (Isoodon macrourus), domestic cats (Felis catus) and native birds (species as listed below) each preferred sheltered or vegetated habitats over open habitats, when compared to the introduced rats that showed little habitat preference. However, unlike the other species, the native birds used open areas more than vegetated or sheltered areas when compared within their group only. The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) was observed to use open areas comparatively more than the introduced rats, but used vegetated or sheltered habitats more when compared to self only. The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) used open areas more than vegetated or sheltered areas, when compared to the introduced rats, and against themselves. This indicated a level of coping with urban stressors by the native animals, but with a reliance on more vegetated habitats to allow for natural stress-relieving behaviours of escape or hiding. Here, we offer insights into how each of these findings may be used to help educate and motivate increased household responsibility for urban wildlife conservation.
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21
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Stobo‐Wilson AM, Murphy BP, Legge SM, Caceres‐Escobar H, Chapple DG, Crawford HM, Dawson SJ, Dickman CR, Doherty TS, Fleming PA, Garnett ST, Gentle M, Newsome TM, Palmer R, Rees MW, Ritchie EG, Speed J, Stuart J, Suarez‐Castro AF, Thompson E, Tulloch A, Turpin JM, Woinarski JC. Counting the bodies: Estimating the numbers and spatial variation of Australian reptiles, birds and mammals killed by two invasive mesopredators. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alyson M. Stobo‐Wilson
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina Northern Territory Australia
- CSIRO Land and Water Winnellie Northern Territory Australia
| | - Brett P. Murphy
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina Northern Territory Australia
| | - Sarah M. Legge
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina Northern Territory Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Research School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Hernan Caceres‐Escobar
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Research School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - David G. Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Heather M. Crawford
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Harry Butler Institute Murdoch University Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Stuart J. Dawson
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Harry Butler Institute Murdoch University Perth Western Australia Australia
- Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Invasive Species and Environment Biosecurity South Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Chris R. Dickman
- Desert Ecology Research Group School of Life and Environmental Sciences A08 University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Tim S. Doherty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Patricia A. Fleming
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Harry Butler Institute Murdoch University Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Stephen T. Garnett
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina Northern Territory Australia
| | - Matthew Gentle
- Pest Animal Research Centre Invasive Plants and Animals Biosecurity Queensland Toowoomba Queensland Australia
- School of Agriculture and Environmental Science University of Southern Queensland Toowoomba Queensland Australia
| | - Thomas M. Newsome
- Global Ecology Lab School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Russell Palmer
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Bentley Western Australia Australia
| | - Matthew W. Rees
- Quantitative & Applied Ecology Group School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences The University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Euan G. Ritchie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Victoria Australia
| | - James Speed
- Pest Animal Research Centre Invasive Plants and Animals Biosecurity Queensland Toowoomba Queensland Australia
| | - John‐Michael Stuart
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Harry Butler Institute Murdoch University Perth Western Australia Australia
| | - Andrés F. Suarez‐Castro
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Research School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
- Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Bogota D.C. Colombia
| | - Eilysh Thompson
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Victoria Australia
| | - Ayesha Tulloch
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Jeff M. Turpin
- School of Environmental and Rural Science University of New England Armidale New South Wales Australia
| | - John C.Z. Woinarski
- Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina Northern Territory Australia
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
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22
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Mella-méndez I, Flores-peredo R, Amaya-espinel JD, Bolívar-cimé B, Mac Swiney G. MC, Martínez AJ. Predation of wildlife by domestic cats in a Neotropical city: a multi-factor issue. Biol Invasions. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02734-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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23
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Franklin M, Rand J, Marston L, Morton J. Do Pet Cats Deserve the Disproportionate Blame for Wildlife Predation Compared to Pet Dogs? Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:731689. [PMID: 34760957 PMCID: PMC8572848 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.731689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Concerns about the impact of pet dogs and cats on native wildlife populations have shaped pet control legislation, despite there being scant research of their impact in urban areas. Using an online questionnaire, we obtained data from 662 Australian dog and cat owners who had observed their pets capture prey in the previous 6 months. Of the pets observed to catch prey, dogs caught a median of 2 mammals, 2 birds, 2 reptiles, and 3 amphibians, whereas cats caught a median of 3 mammals, 2 birds, 4 reptiles, and 2 amphibians. Of mammals caught by dogs and cats, 88 and 93%, respectively, were identifiable as introduced mice, rats, and rabbits. Of pets that caught prey, a substantial proportion caught native animals (62% of dogs and 47% of cats). However, median numbers of native animals caught per dog (2) or cat (3) over 6 months were low. Small skinks and lizards comprised the greatest proportion for dogs and cats, but dogs also caught larger native prey (e.g., possums, kangaroos, and wallabies). Most birds caught by dogs and cats were common or introduced (dogs: crested pigeons and lorikeets; cats: noisy miners and rosellas). To design measures that will effectively protect Australia's native wildlife, thorough understanding of the role dogs and cats play in Australian urban ecosystems is required. These findings can inform that understanding, and assist with development of management strategies for urban dogs and cats, and as well as directing resources to efforts that will most protect urban wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Franklin
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia
| | - Jacquie Rand
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia.,Australian Pet Welfare Foundation, Kenmore, QLD, Australia
| | - Linda Marston
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia
| | - John Morton
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia.,Jemora Pty Ltd., Geelong, VIC, Australia
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24
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Gow EA, Burant JB, Sutton AO, Freeman NE, Grahame ERM, Fuirst M, Sorensen MC, Knight SM, Clyde HE, Quarrell NJ, Wilcox AAE, Chicalo R, Van Drunen SG, Shiffman DS. Popular press portrayal of issues surrounding free‐roaming domestic cats
Felis catus. People and Nature 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Gow
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - Joseph B. Burant
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - Alex O. Sutton
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | - Nikole E. Freeman
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | | | - Matthew Fuirst
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | | | - Samantha M. Knight
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
- Nature Conservancy of Canada Toronto ON Canada
| | - Hannah E. Clyde
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | | | | | - Roxan Chicalo
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada
| | | | - David S. Shiffman
- Arizona State University New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Glendale AZ USA
- Arizona State University DC Center Washington DC USA
- David Shiffman Scientific and Environmental Consulting, INC Silver Spring MD USA
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25
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Eeden LM, Hames F, Faulkner R, Geschke A, Squires ZE, McLeod EM. Putting the cat before the wildlife: Exploring cat owners' beliefs about cat containment as predictors of owner behavior. Conservat Sci and Prac 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lily M. Eeden
- Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Heidelberg Victoria Australia
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies RMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Fern Hames
- Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Heidelberg Victoria Australia
| | - Richard Faulkner
- Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Heidelberg Victoria Australia
| | - Andrew Geschke
- Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Heidelberg Victoria Australia
| | - Zoe E. Squires
- Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Heidelberg Victoria Australia
| | - Emily M. McLeod
- Department of Wildlife Conservation and Science, Zoos Victoria Parkville Victoria Australia
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26
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Abstract
Abstract
Pet cats (Felis catus) often have negative effects on wildlife. This is of growing concern in urban areas as these are increasingly becoming hotspots of native wildlife activity, and as the human population increases, so too does the pet cat population. To maintain biodiversity in urban areas, further knowledge on pet cat behaviour and impacts is required so that management strategies for pet cats are well informed and have public and government support. Here, we offer insights into the wandering activity of pet cats in a patchy urban—heavily vegetated landscape on the east coast of Australia. Our estimated pet cat movement ranges were generally larger than those previously observed in similar landscapes, as well as in more urbanized and rural habitats. Using GPS data loggers, we found that pet cats did not utilize vegetated spaces more than urban areas, nor did they prefer them relative to their availability. Half of our study cats selected urban habitats, whilst the other half displayed no selection or a slight preference for vegetated spaces; these cats had fewer barriers to overcome to reach them. We did not observe any large differences in movements or habitat use between day and night, but displacement distances and preference for vegetated space habitat were marginally lower at night. All pet cats monitored spent most of their time outside their houses. As both urban and vegetated spaces in patchy urban landscapes provide habitat for native wildlife, pet cat activity across both habitat types requires management action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren L Fardell
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Lauren I Young
- Flora and Fauna Division, Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security, Northern Territory Government, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0870, Australia
| | - Chris R Pavey
- CSIRO, Land and Water, PMB 44, Winnellie, Northern Territory 0822, Australia
| | - Christopher R Dickman
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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27
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Wandesforde-Smith G, Levy JK, Lynn W, Rand J, Riley S, Schaffner JE, Wolf PJ. Coping With Human-Cat Interactions Beyond the Limits of Domesticity: Moral Pluralism in the Management of Cats and Wildlife. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:682582. [PMID: 34179173 PMCID: PMC8226003 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.682582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although human interactions with cats are often even typically analyzed in the context of domesticity, with a focus on what sorts of interactions might make both people and cats "happy at home," a large number of cats in the world live, for one reason or another, beyond the bounds of domesticity. Human interactions with these more or less free-living cats raise deeply controversial questions about how both the cats and the people they interact with should be sensibly managed, and about the moral imperatives that ought to guide the management of their interactions through the laws and public policies regulating both human interactions with pets and with wildlife. We review the geography of human interactions with cats living beyond the bounds of domesticity. We acknowledge the contributions made to ideas about how to manage cats by the animal protection movement. We review the tensions that have emerged over time between advocates for the eradication of free-living cats, because of the impacts they have on native wildlife species, and those who have imagined alternatives to eradication, most notably one or another variant of trap-neuter-return (TNR). The conflict over how best to deal with cats living beyond the bounds of domesticity and their wildlife impacts raises the prospect of stalemate, and we canvass and critique possibilities for moving beyond that stalemate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julie K Levy
- Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - William Lynn
- George Perkins Marsh Institute, Clark University, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Jacquie Rand
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia.,Australian Pet Welfare Foundation, Kenmore, QLD, Australia
| | - Sophie Riley
- Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - Joan E Schaffner
- The George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Peter Joseph Wolf
- Community Programs and Services, Best Friends Animal Society, Kanab, UT, United States
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Shepley A, Falzon G, Lawson C, Meek P, Kwan P. U-Infuse: Democratization of Customizable Deep Learning for Object Detection. Sensors (Basel) 2021; 21:2611. [PMID: 33917792 PMCID: PMC8068121 DOI: 10.3390/s21082611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Image data is one of the primary sources of ecological data used in biodiversity conservation and management worldwide. However, classifying and interpreting large numbers of images is time and resource expensive, particularly in the context of camera trapping. Deep learning models have been used to achieve this task but are often not suited to specific applications due to their inability to generalise to new environments and inconsistent performance. Models need to be developed for specific species cohorts and environments, but the technical skills required to achieve this are a key barrier to the accessibility of this technology to ecologists. Thus, there is a strong need to democratize access to deep learning technologies by providing an easy-to-use software application allowing non-technical users to train custom object detectors. U-Infuse addresses this issue by providing ecologists with the ability to train customised models using publicly available images and/or their own images without specific technical expertise. Auto-annotation and annotation editing functionalities minimize the constraints of manually annotating and pre-processing large numbers of images. U-Infuse is a free and open-source software solution that supports both multiclass and single class training and object detection, allowing ecologists to access deep learning technologies usually only available to computer scientists, on their own device, customised for their application, without sharing intellectual property or sensitive data. It provides ecological practitioners with the ability to (i) easily achieve object detection within a user-friendly GUI, generating a species distribution report, and other useful statistics, (ii) custom train deep learning models using publicly available and custom training data, (iii) achieve supervised auto-annotation of images for further training, with the benefit of editing annotations to ensure quality datasets. Broad adoption of U-Infuse by ecological practitioners will improve ecological image analysis and processing by allowing significantly more image data to be processed with minimal expenditure of time and resources, particularly for camera trap images. Ease of training and use of transfer learning means domain-specific models can be trained rapidly, and frequently updated without the need for computer science expertise, or data sharing, protecting intellectual property and privacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Shepley
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia; (G.F.); (C.L.)
| | - Greg Falzon
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia; (G.F.); (C.L.)
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Christopher Lawson
- School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia; (G.F.); (C.L.)
| | - Paul Meek
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, P.O. Box 530, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia;
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia
| | - Paul Kwan
- School of IT and Engineering, Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia;
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Oedin M, Brescia F, Millon A, Murphy BP, Palmas P, Woinarski JC, Vidal E. Cats
Felis catus
as a threat to bats worldwide: a review of the evidence. Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Malik Oedin
- Institut Agronomique Néo‐Calédonien (IAC) Equipe ARBOREAL (AgricultuRe BiOdiveRsité Et vALorisation) BP 73, Portlaguerre Païta Province Sud98890New Caledonia
- Aix Marseille Université Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE) CNRS, IRD Avignon Université Technopôle Arbois‐Méditerranée, Bât. Villemin, BP 80 Aix‐en‐Provence Aix en Provence13090France
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE) CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre IRD Nouméa ‐ BPA5 Aix Marseille Université Nouméa Cedex98848Nouvelle‐Calédonie
| | - Fabrice Brescia
- Institut Agronomique Néo‐Calédonien (IAC) Equipe ARBOREAL (AgricultuRe BiOdiveRsité Et vALorisation) BP 73, Portlaguerre Païta Province Sud98890New Caledonia
| | - Alexandre Millon
- Aix Marseille Université Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE) CNRS, IRD Avignon Université Technopôle Arbois‐Méditerranée, Bât. Villemin, BP 80 Aix‐en‐Provence Aix en Provence13090France
| | - Brett P. Murphy
- NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina NT0909Australia
| | - Pauline Palmas
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie marine et continentale (IMBE) CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Centre IRD Nouméa ‐ BPA5 Aix Marseille Université Nouméa Cedex98848Nouvelle‐Calédonie
- Université de la Polynésie Française Ifremer, ILM, IRD, EIO UMR 241, BP 52998713 Papeete Faaa98702Polynésie Française
| | - John C.Z. Woinarski
- NESP Threatened Species Recovery Hub Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Charles Darwin University Casuarina NT0909Australia
| | - Eric Vidal
- UMR ENTROPIE (IRD, Université de La Réunion, CNRS, Université de la Nouvelle‐Calédonie, Ifremer) Centre IRD Nouméa ‐ BP A5 Cedex98848New Caledonia
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de Assis LS, Mills DS. Introducing a Controlled Outdoor Environment Impacts Positively in Cat Welfare and Owner Concerns: The Use of a New Feline Welfare Assessment Tool. Front Vet Sci 2021; 7:599284. [PMID: 33505999 PMCID: PMC7829302 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.599284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
There is much debate over the pros and cons of allowing cats to roam freely as opposed to keeping them confined indoors. We surveyed owners who implemented a commercial physical containment system to the outdoors to evaluate their characteristics and the apparent impact of this system on cat welfare and owner perceptions. As part of the latter aim, we also developed a new feline welfare assessment tool based on the mathematical relationship between different measures. The survey was circulated to customers over the preceding 2 years of ProtectaPet® between May and June 2019 and gathered 446 responses. Univariate analyses compared changes following installation on factors such as the amount of time the cat spent outside, other cats entering the owner's garden and owners' concerns about their cat outside. Principal component analysis was used to reduce 21 potential indicators of feline welfare into fewer variables. This resulted in 4 subscales, 2 relating to positive welfare and 2 relating to negative welfare. The effects of installation of the containment system and significant predictors of these four welfare subscales were assessed. The majority of respondents lived in an urban environment with a relatively small garden, had multiple cats and a history of feline trauma associated with a road traffic accident. As expected, the time spent outside significantly increased, while the frequency of other cats entering the garden and owner concern about leaving their cats outside significantly decreased. The 4 welfare subscales grouped into positivity, maintenance behaviors, health issues and fearfulness; installation of the system was associated with significant improvements across all of these. Time spent outside after installation had a significant effect on positivity and, to a lesser extent, maintenance behaviors. Overall, installation was associated with positive changes in both owner and cat quality of life, which seem to be particularly associated with an increased sense of security. This suggests that housing cats within a controlled outside environment with physical barriers can provide a practical solution for many of the problems associated with cats being allowed out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Santos de Assis
- Animal Behaviour Cognition and Welfare Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Simon Mills
- Animal Behaviour Cognition and Welfare Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom
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Read JL, Dickman CR, Boardman WSJ, Lepczyk CA. Reply to Wolf et al.: Why Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) Is Not an Ethical Solution for Stray Cat Management. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E1525. [PMID: 32872227 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary We provide a rebuttal to Wolf et al. (2019), outlining biological, ethical, and economic flaws in their argument that Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is an ethical solution for stray cat management. We contend that suppression of supplementary feeding of stray cats accompanied by proactive adoption or prompt euthanasia is more effective, humane, and economical. Abstract We critique the recent article by Wolf et al. (2019) that claims scientific merit for reducing the number of stray cats in Australia through Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, and then we provide an inventory of biological, welfare, and economic reasons why TNR is less successful than adoption and euthanasia for managing unowned cats. Like Crawford et al. (2019) and multiple other comprehensive and unbiased Australian and international scientific reviews, we refute the idea that returning neutered unowned cats to stray populations has any valid role in responsible, ethical, affordable, and effective cat management, or in wildlife conservation. The main purported objective of TNR proponents along with animal welfare, human health, and wildlife advocacy stakeholders is to reduce the number of unhomed cats. We contend that cessation of provisioning unowned cats with food is the most effective approach to achieve this objective. We also present evidence from the Brisbane City Council that informed cat management policy, advocacy, and laws, backed up by responsible rehoming or prompt ethical euthanasia, are together effective at reducing the stray cat problem.
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Selinske MJ, Garrard GE, Gregg EA, Kusmanoff AM, Kidd LR, Cullen MT, Cooper M, Geary WL, Hatty MA, Hames F, Kneebone S, McLeod EM, Ritchie EG, Squires ZE, Thomas J, Willcock MAW, Blair S, Bekessy SA. Identifying and prioritizing human behaviors that benefit biodiversity. Conservat Sci and Prac 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Selinske
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Georgia E. Garrard
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Emily A. Gregg
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Alexander M. Kusmanoff
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Lindall R. Kidd
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
- BirdLife Australia Carlton Victoria Australia
| | | | - Michelle Cooper
- Biodiversity Division, Department of EnvironmentLand, Water & Planning East Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - William L. Geary
- Biodiversity Division, Department of EnvironmentLand, Water & Planning East Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Melissa A. Hatty
- BehaviourWorks AustraliaMonash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Fern Hames
- Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental ResearchDepartment of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Heidelberg Victoria Australia
| | - Sarah Kneebone
- BehaviourWorks AustraliaMonash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Emily M. McLeod
- Department of Wildlife Conservation and ScienceZoos Victoria Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Euan G. Ritchie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental SciencesDeakin University Geelong Victoria Australia
| | - Zoe E. Squires
- Biodiversity Division, Department of EnvironmentLand, Water & Planning East Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | | | | | - Sera Blair
- Victoria National Parks Association Carlton Victoria Australia
| | - Sarah A. Bekessy
- ICON Science Research Group, School of Global, Urban and Social StudiesRMIT University Melbourne Victoria Australia
- The Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program, Threatened Species Recovery Hub St Lucia Queensland Australia
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Calver MC, Fleming PA. Evidence for Citation Networks in Studies of Free-Roaming Cats: A Case Study Using Literature on Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E993. [PMID: 32517234 DOI: 10.3390/ani10060993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary All aspects of an argument need to be evaluated in evidence-based scientific pursuit to prevent the development of self-reinforcing cohorts of studies through the cross-referencing of selected subsets of studies (citation bias). Controling populations of unowned cats using Trap–Neuter–Return and its variants (hereafter TNR) is an example of how a scientific topic develops and is communicated academically and publicly. We found 145 TNR publications between 2002–2019, with the last two years seeing a rapid increase in studies. Publication clusters occur, focusing on: population control, interactions with wildlife, disease transmission (including implications for pet cats, wildlife and humans), free-roaming cats, and feral and domestic cat management. A quarter of all studies were published in Open Access formats, which have the highest potential social impact because they are free to download, share and read. While it is encouraging that diverse views are expressed, the development of clusters of introspective topics risks reduced dialogue between groups of authors with differing views. Journal editors could encourage exchanges between groups by choosing reviewers from different camps to assess manuscripts and by asking authors to acknowledge alternative views. Abstract Trap–Neuter–Return and its variants (hereafter TNR) aims to control unowned cat populations. Papers on this topic form a useful case study of how how an area of literature grows, papers become influential, and citation networks form, influencing future study as well as public perceptions of the science. We analysed 145 TNR studies published 2002–2019. Common topics, identified by frequently used language, were population control, interactions with wildlife, disease transmission (including implications for pets, wildlife and humans), free-roaming cats, and feral and domestic cat management. One or more papers on each of these topics was judged influential because of high citations overall, high average citations/year, or frequent mentions in social media. Open Access papers were more influential in social media, raising greater public awareness than studies published in journals that were less accessible. While divergent views exist on a range of topics, the network analysis of the TNR literature indicated potential for forming self-reinforcing groups of authors. While it is encouraging that diverse views are expressed, there is a risk of reduced dialogue interactions between groups, potentially constraining dialogue to refine arguments, share information, or plan research. Journal editors could encourage communication by choosing reviewers from different camps to assess manuscripts and by asking authors to acknowledge alternative views.
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Legge S, Woinarski JCZ, Dickman CR, Doherty TS, McGregor H, Murphy BP. Cat ecology, impacts and management in Australia. Wildl Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/wrv47n8_ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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