Reconciling actual and perceived rates of predation by domestic cats

McDonald, Jennifer; Maclean, Mairead M.; Evans, Matthew R.; Hodgson, David J.

doi:10.1002/ece3.1553

Cited by 63 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Consequently, many conservation initiatives have been aimed at the eradication of feral cats on islands (Nogales et al 2004), but the threat that free-ranging house cats pose to wildlife is also serious and has gained recognition by both researchers and conservationists (e.g., Kays and DeWan 2004;Baker et al 2005;Sims et al 2008;Morgan et al 2009;Bonnington et al 2013). While there is a set of mitigation measures that can be considered (reviewed in Calver et al 2011), the application of any of them requires cooperation with cat owners, who often fail to understand the detrimental effect their pets can have on wildlife (McDonald et al 2015). Thus, studies showing the diversity of animal species that are killed by cats as well the magnitude of their hunting pressure are important; they both inform public opinion about the problem and can help raise financial support for mitigation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual variation in prey composition of domestic cats in rural and urban environment

2016

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The threat that domestic cats pose to wildlife has gained increased recognition by researchers and conservationists, and in this study, we investigated the seasonal variability and the effects of environment type (rural vs. urban) on the prey composition of free-ranging house cats in Poland. We analysed the variability in 307 monthly prey samples of different prey items killed by cats and brought to their owners (i.e., prey brought home by cats living in one home in one month) between 2002 and 2007 at 26 rural and urban sites. The variability in prey composition over time was analysed using additive models and canonical correspondence analysis. In total, we recorded 1348 prey items. Rodents were the most common prey in both environments, but shrews and reptiles were killed by cats more often in the rural environment while birds (mainly sparrows and pigeons) were more common in the urban environment. Additionally, prey composition changed seasonally. The pooled number of vertebrates killed by cats was largest in September and lowest in January, and rodents were killed most often in September, shrews and birds in June, and reptiles in April. The seasonal variation in the prey composition of cats was relatively high in the rural environment and more stable in the urban environment. Prey composition seemed to follow temporal and spatial variations in prey availability, thus confirming a facultative feeding strategy in free-ranging house cats.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Annual variation in prey composition of domestic cats in rural and urban environment

2016

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“…However, if owners do not see their pet's behaviour as unusual or problematic, they may be less likely to voluntarily assume responsibility for managing it. This phenomenon is heightened by the broader societal acceptance, in the United Kingdom, of unconstrained roaming by owned cats (McDonald et al, ; Thomas et al, ), even when compared to culturally similar countries such as the USA and Australia (Hall et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As in Thomas et al's () study, a substantial proportion (60%) did not consider cats to be harmful to wildlife. McDonald et al's () study did not find owner opinions to be influenced by their cats’ predatory behaviour.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…They found a generally low level of concern about the potential impacts of cats on wildlife and a low level of acceptability for most management strategies; collar‐mounted devices were considered the most acceptable. McDonald, Maclean, Evans, and Hodgson () conducted door‐to‐door surveys to determine whether owners’ perceptions of their cats’ hunting behaviour corresponded to actual prey returns, and to identify whether the extent of predatory behaviour influences owner attitudes to management. The majority of participating owners were able to predict whether or not their cats would return prey, but not how much.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hunting behaviour in domestic cats: An exploratory study of risk and responsibility among cat owners

2019

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The potential impact of domestic cats on wildlife is the subject of growing international interest and concern. While feral cats are often the primary focus of research and debate, in many societies a substantial proportion of domestic cats are owned by private individuals. We present a typology that classifies domestic cats in relation to varying degrees of human control over their reproduction, movement, and provisioning. Understanding the perceptions and practices of cat owners will be key to identifying and mitigating any negative ecological effects of cat hunting behaviour. To investigate how cat owners perceive (a) their pets’ hunting behaviour, (b) their responsibilities for managing this, and (c) the mitigation strategies available, we conducted detailed interviews with a diverse sample of cat owners in the United Kingdom. We identified a spectrum of views on hunting behaviour, from owners who perceived hunting as positive (for pest control, or as healthy cat behaviour) to those who were deeply concerned about its consequences for wild animals, their populations, and welfare. However, hunting was widely understood as a normal, natural component of cat behaviour, and owners rarely perceived a strong individual responsibility for preventing or reducing it. Those who did wish to manage hunting perceived several barriers to this, including concern that they were unable to control behaviour effectively without compromising cat welfare, doubt about the efficacy and practicality of popular mitigation measures, and unfamiliarity with alternative options. We recommend that (a) initiatives directed at changing cat owners’ behaviour consider the multiple factors and competing priorities that inform their decision‐making (particularly cat health and welfare and practicality or cost of interventions); (b) researchers work collaboratively with cat owners and veterinary, cat welfare, and conservation organizations to identify effective solutions, and (c) some degree of accountability for managing problematic hunting behaviour should be promoted as a part of “responsible pet ownership” initiatives. A plain language summary is available for this article.

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“…In the UK, cat owners are often unwilling to admit that their pets may be a threat to wildlife (McDonald et al 2015). Recent research has suggested that advocacy campaigns for cat containment that focus on the benefits to cat welfare, rather than wildlife conservation, may be more successful (MacDonald et al 2015;Hall et al 2016) and that a better understanding by cat owners of the risks encountered by free-ranging cats may result in behaviour change (Gramza et al 2016).…”

Section: Social Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research challenges and conservation implications for urban cat management in New Zealand

Kikillus

Chambers

Farnworth

et al. 2017

Pac. Conserv. Biol.

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Abstract. Over the past 20 years, conservation efforts in New Zealand have moved from being concentrated in rural and isolated island locations, where exotic mammalian predators are often controlled, to begin to bring native fauna back to major cities. However, human-wildlife conflicts arise when conservation occurs in close proximity to cities. These are particularly intense when companion animals are involved either as potential predators or prey of high-value conservation animals. Within New Zealand, this conflict is particularly fraught around domestic cats (Felis catus) in the urban environment. Cats in New Zealand are recognised as major introduced predators of native fauna, but they also prey on small introduced predatory mammals. This dynamic causes much conflict between people with different attitudes towards animals; however, as yet, few studies have explored the role(s), either negative or positive, of urban cats in New Zealand. Here, we review current knowledge on domestic cats in urban New Zealand, identify gaps in knowledge and make suggestions for future research, which includes further social science research, citizen science-based research programs, market research, investigation into cat-management legislation, and more in-depth studies of cat diseases and zoonoses. These data are vital for informing the public and improving the management of urban cat populations, including mitigating conservation impacts. Urban ecologists will need to be versatile in the way they design and conduct experiments, exploiting multiple disciplines to both ensure scientific robustness, but also community and government support for uptake of results into management and legislation.

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Reconciling actual and perceived rates of predation by domestic cats

Cited by 63 publications

References 35 publications

Annual variation in prey composition of domestic cats in rural and urban environment

Annual variation in prey composition of domestic cats in rural and urban environment

Hunting behaviour in domestic cats: An exploratory study of risk and responsibility among cat owners

Research challenges and conservation implications for urban cat management in New Zealand

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