A science-based policy for managing free-roaming cats

Lepczyk, Christopher A.; Duffy, David Cameron; Bird, David M.; Calver, Michael C.; Cherkassky, Dmitry; Cherkassky, Linda; Dickman, Christopher R.; Hunter, David; Jessup, David A.; Longcore, Travis; Loss, Scott R.; Loyd, Kerrie Anne T.; Marra, Peter P.; Marzluff, John M.; Noss, Reed F.; Simberloff, Daniel; Sizemore, Grant C.; Temple, Stanley A.; Heezik, Yolanda van

doi:10.1007/s10530-022-02888-2

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Free-roaming domestic cats play an important role in spreading toxoplasmosis with marked impacts on biodiversity and human health. A science-based approach for better management of free-roaming cats is required from a broader political and legislative perspective, regulated by the consensus in the animal ecology, conservation, and welfare communities [ 49 ]. In Italy, urban free-roaming cats living in colonies are protected by the law (no.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Survey of Toxoplasma gondii in Wild Mammals of Southern Italy

et al. 2023

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Systematic wildlife surveillance is important to aid the prevention of zoonotic infections that jeopardize human health and undermine biodiversity. Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic zoonotic protozoan that can infect all endothermic vertebrates, causing severe disease in immunocompromised humans and cases of congenital transmission. Humans can be infected by ingestion of raw meat containing bradyzoites or water contaminated by oocysts. In our study, we assessed the potential circulation of Toxoplasma gondii in wild mammals by performing surveillance in the Campania region (southern Italy) and surveyed its presence from 2020 to 2022 within the framework of the Regional Plans for Wildlife Surveillance. In detail, 211 individuals belonging to five wild mammals (wolf, fox, wild boar, badger, and roe deer) underwent necropsy and the organs were analyzed by real-time PCR for the detection of the parasite. Toxoplasma gondii was found in 21.8% (46/211) of the subjects examined. No statistically significant differences were noticed between the prevalence and the host’s trophic level or age, rejecting the hypotheses that Toxoplasma gondii will have a higher prevalence in top predators and adult individuals, respectively. Our work emphasized the high circulation of Toxoplasma gondii in wildlife and remarked on the critical role of anthropized areas where domestic cats and wildlife may come into contact, urging a systematic surveillance.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular Survey of Toxoplasma gondii in Wild Mammals of Southern Italy

et al. 2023

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“…Once released or escaped, feral populations quickly became major predators of multiple species [26]. Perhaps the most consequential feral predator, however, is the domestic cat (Felis silvestris f. catus) [27].…”

Section: Conservation Impacts Of Feralizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although a number of species fall into this category, particularly in urban settings, the most consequential example is the domestic cat. This species, while doubtlessly causing extensive depredation of birds and other species, is also beloved by many [27]. The resulting conflict, most notably between wildlife managers and animal rights advocates, is extremely difficult to resolve and contributes to a divide between pro-nature groups that might otherwise find much to cooperate on [51].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Going Wild in the City—Animal Feralization and Its Impacts on Biodiversity in Urban Environments

Göttert

Perry

2023

Animals

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Domestication describes a range of changes to wild species as they are increasingly brought under human selection and husbandry. Feralization is the process whereby a species leaves the human sphere and undergoes increasing natural selection in a wild context, which may or may not be geographically adjacent to where the originator wild species evolved prior to domestication. Distinguishing between domestic, feral, and wild species can be difficult, since some populations of so-called “wild species” are at least partly descended from domesticated “populations” (e.g., junglefowl, European wild sheep) and because transitions in both directions are gradual rather than abrupt. In urban settings, prior selection for coexistence with humans provides particular benefit for a domestic organism that undergoes feralization. One risk is that such taxa can become invasive not just at the site of release/escape but far away. As humanity becomes increasingly urban and pristine environments rapidly diminish, we believe that feralized populations also hold conservation value.

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“…As an example, ALAN produces documented or hypothesized interactions with five other threats, meaning that alleviating ALAN will concurrently reduce migrating birds' exposure or susceptibility to other anthropogenic hazards. Similarly, multiple threats can increase migrants' vulnerability to free-roaming cats, and thus managing cat populations could reduce the total impact of these threats on migrating birds (Lepczyk et al 2022).…”

Section: Conservation Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

More than mortality: Consequences of human activity on migrating birds extend beyond direct mortality

Nemes

Cabrera‐Cruz

Anderson

et al. 2023

Ornithological Applications

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Birds must contend with an array of anthropogenic threats during their migratory journeys. Many migrants are killed due to encounters with artificial light, introduced species, pollutants, and other anthropogenic hazards, while survivors of these encounters can suffer longer-lasting negative effects. The nonlethal effects of anthropogenic threats on migrating birds are less well understood than direct mortality, yet both potentially contribute to population declines. For example, building collisions frequently kill migrating birds, but the numbers of migrants that survive with an impaired ability to fly, refuel, or navigate to their destination on time is not well understood. Though not immediately fatal, such injuries can lead to delayed mortality and, ultimately, reduced lifetime reproductive success. Furthermore, migrants are likely to encounter multiple threats on their journeys, which can interact synergistically to further reduce fitness. For instance, light pollution attracts and disorients migrants, increasing the likelihood of window strikes, and surviving birds may be more vulnerable to predation from introduced predators. While considerable attention has focused on the lethal effects of anthropogenic threats, here, we review nonlethal effects of 8 types of threats during migration, their interactions, and the pathways through which they can exert fitness costs. In doing so, we identify knowledge gaps and suggest areas for future research. In the absence of more information, we propose that the greatest reduction in the cumulative lethal and nonlethal impacts of anthropogenic hazards will be achieved by addressing threat types, like artificial light at night, that interact with and compound the impact of additional threats. Direct mortality from anthropogenic sources is recognized as a key driver of population declines, but a full understanding of the impacts of human activity on migrating birds must include the cumulative and interacting effects that extend beyond immediate mortality en route to influence overall migration success and lifetime fitness.

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A science-based policy for managing free-roaming cats

Cited by 11 publications

References 45 publications

Molecular Survey of Toxoplasma gondii in Wild Mammals of Southern Italy

Molecular Survey of Toxoplasma gondii in Wild Mammals of Southern Italy

Going Wild in the City—Animal Feralization and Its Impacts on Biodiversity in Urban Environments

More than mortality: Consequences of human activity on migrating birds extend beyond direct mortality

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