Analyzing approaches to feral cat management—one size does not fit all

Stoskopf, Michael K.; Nutter, Felicia B.

doi:10.2460/javma.2004.225.1361

Cited by 46 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Free‐roaming domestic cats Felis catus are abundant in urban environments (Schmidt, Lopez & Collier, 2007 a ; Sims et al ., ), can have adverse environmental impacts (van Heezik et al ., ; Blancher, ; Loss, Will & Marra, ) and pose risks to public health (Gerhold & Jessup, ). Addressing these impacts, coupled with objections to euthanizing individuals, underscore the challenge of identifying socially acceptable approaches to manage free‐roaming cat populations (Levy & Crawford, ; Stoskopf & Nutter, ). Achieving an acceptable approach first requires robust estimates of cat population size.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting free‐roaming cat population densities in urban areas

Flockhart

Norris

Coe

2016

Animal Conservation

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Although free-roaming cats can have a significant impact on the environment, and substantial resources have been invested to find humane alternatives for managing free-roaming cat populations, there are no empirical estimates of free-roaming cat population size in medium to large cities. In addition, little is known about factors limiting free-roaming cat population size and distribution. Using Guelph, ON, Canada (pop: 120 000; 86.7 km 2 ) as a case-study, we apply replicated distance transect sampling and likelihood-based hierarchical modelling to compare humanmediated landscape patterns of land use, distance to roads, distance to wooded areas, building density and socio-economic status to explain the abundance of freeroaming cats. We then derive an empirical estimate of total population size and present a spatially explicit prediction of free-roaming cat density across an entire city. Cat abundance was highest in residential areas and lowest in commercial and institutional areas, negatively related to median household income, and positively related to distance from woods and building density. Total population size was estimated to be 7662 (95% bootstrap CI: 6145-9966) for Guelph; free-roaming cat density varied from 0 to 49.4 cats per ha. Our estimate overlapped with an independent estimate of indoor-outdoor cats (11 927; 95% CI: 6361-20 989) derived from random surveys of city residents, which implies our distance transect methodology was relatively robust and unbiased. Our approach used simple geographical information that is readily available for most urban areas in North America and can be applied broadly to inform cat management in urban areas. Finally, our results suggest that free-roaming cat density in cities could be determined by bottom-up processes (e.g. enhanced food availability in residential areas) as well as top-down processes (e.g. enhanced susceptibility to coyote predation near wooded areas) which are typically reserved to explain wildlife populations in natural environments.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting free‐roaming cat population densities in urban areas

Flockhart

Norris

Coe

2016

Animal Conservation

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“…The social roots of conflict over cat colony management are critical because neither TNR nor less expensive and more efficient lethal control methods [22] are possible on a large scale without cooperation of key stakeholders. Although it may be tempting to conduct legal lethal management secretively to avoid the need for involving the public, when even small scale cases are discovered the media attention and public scrutiny can create a backlash preventing effective feral cat management [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opinions from the Front Lines of Cat Colony Management Conflict

et al. 2012

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Outdoor cats represent a global threat to terrestrial vertebrate conservation, but management has been rife with conflict due to differences in views of the problem and appropriate responses to it. To evaluate these differences we conducted a survey of opinions about outdoor cats and their management with two contrasting stakeholder groups, cat colony caretakers (CCCs) and bird conservation professionals (BCPs) across the United States. Group opinions were polarized, for both normative statements (CCCs supported treating feral cats as protected wildlife and using trap neuter and release [TNR] and BCPs supported treating feral cats as pests and using euthanasia) and empirical statements. Opinions also were related to gender, age, and education, with females and older respondents being less likely than their counterparts to support treating feral cats as pests, and females being less likely than males to support euthanasia. Most CCCs held false beliefs about the impacts of feral cats on wildlife and the impacts of TNR (e.g., 9% believed feral cats harmed bird populations, 70% believed TNR eliminates cat colonies, and 18% disagreed with the statement that feral cats filled the role of native predators). Only 6% of CCCs believed feral cats carried diseases. To the extent the beliefs held by CCCs are rooted in lack of knowledge and mistrust, rather than denial of directly observable phenomenon, the conservation community can manage these conflicts more productively by bringing CCCs into the process of defining data collection methods, defining study/management locations, and identifying common goals related to caring for animals.

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“…Since traditional animal control methods are not controlling populations, it is difficult to accept their claims of efficiency, effectiveness, or their utility in all locations. TNR programs also cannot make a similar claim of success, although a few studies indicate that some TNR programs result in a reduced cat population (Levy et al 2003, Levy and Crawford 2004, Stoskopf and Nutter 2004, Foley et al 2005, Natoli et al 2006, Robertson 2008. Similarly, when it is stated that "If removal and euthanasia of unadoptable feral cats is not acceptable to TNR proponents, then they need to offer the conservation community a logical, science-based proposal that will solve the problem of this invasive species and its effect on wildlife and the environment" (Gillin 2011:12), then it is appropriate to reverse this challenge and ask, if TNR of unadoptable feral cats is not acceptable to removal and euthanasia proponents, then they need to offer the cat community a logical, science-based proposal that will solve the problem.…”

Section: What Results Can Be Expected From Trap and Euthanasia Programs?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cat Fight! The TNR Wars

Schmidt¹

2012

vertebrate_pest_conference

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Although trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs for feral cats are in use or being proposed in many communities, a number of non-governmental organizations have gone on record as being opposed to them. For example, The Wildlife Society's (TWS) policy statement on feral cats (2011) includes a comment that TWS "Oppose the passage of any local or state ordinances that legalize the maintenance of "managed" (trap/neuter/release) free-ranging cat colonies." Similarly, the American Bird Conservancy's (ABC) resolution on free-roaming cats (feral and tamed) states that ABC "strongly opposes managed free-roaming cat colonies." Wildlife managers often lament the loss of tools and techniques (e.g., traps, pesticides, regulatory authority) for managing "nuisance" animals. The attack against TNR programs is indicative of an active program to eliminate a management tool. Is the negativity toward TNR justified? Stated another way, do the negative aspects of TNR programs outweigh any positive elements? I argue that the complete rejection of TNR is premature, erroneous, and without merit.

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Analyzing approaches to feral cat management—one size does not fit all

Cited by 46 publications

References 15 publications

Predicting free‐roaming cat population densities in urban areas

Predicting free‐roaming cat population densities in urban areas

Opinions from the Front Lines of Cat Colony Management Conflict

Cat Fight! The TNR Wars

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