Uncontrolled Outdoor Access for Cats: An Assessment of Risks and Benefits

Tan, Sarah Ming Li; Stellato, Anastasia C.; Niel, Lee

doi:10.3390/ani10020258

Cited by 55 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Other available options for controlling cat outdoor access are exclusion fencing, cat patios ('catios', e.g. ProtectaPet), leash or harness walks and tie-outs (Tan et al 2020). Fencing is, however, primarily used to prevent incursions by feral cats to protected areas, and use in Australia and New Zealand is widespread and effective (Moseby & Read 2006).…”

Section: Access Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers and facilitators of hunting behaviour in domestic cats and options for management

2020

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1. Domestic cats Felis catus are distinct from other domesticated animals because their phenotype and genotype are relatively unchanged. While they live with people as pets or pest controllers, they retain capacity for survival independent of human support and readily persist as feral animals. Most cats retain some propensity to express hunting behaviours, even if hunting is not required for nutrition. In some settings, depredation by cats is a threat to biodiversity conservation, leading to attempts to mitigate their impacts. 2. We characterise drivers and facilitators of the hunting behaviour of domestic cats: evolutionary origins, diet, life history, personality and environment.Hunting is driven particularly by evolutionary constraints and associated physiological and nutritional requirements. Proximate causes of variation in hunting behaviours relate to prey availability, husbandry and degree of domestication, while early life history and personality play further roles. 3. We review cat management approaches in terms of effectiveness, feasibility and welfare. Amongst lethal, large-scale methods of population control, poisoning is most frequently used in cat eradications from islands. Because poisoning is challenged on welfare grounds, euthanasia is used at smaller scales and in inhabited, mainland settings. Non-lethal approaches, primarily surgical sterilisation, are favoured by cat advocates but entail challenging logistics and scale. In attempts to inhibit predation of wild species by pet cats, owners restrict outdoor access and use collar-mounted devices, including bells, sonic devices, collar covers and bibs. Other individual-level interventions, such as dietary and behavioural enrichment, some of which may improve cat welfare, have potential, but effects on hunting remain untested. 4. Understanding and managing the hunting behaviour of cats are complex challenges. We highlight drivers and facilitators of this behaviour, representing starting points for formulating solutions that might be acceptable to cat owners and wider groups of people who value cat welfare, while also being effective for wildlife conservation. RIASSUNTO IN ITALIANO1. I gatti domestici Felis catus si distinguono dagli altri animali domestici poiché i loro fenotipo e genotipo sono rimasti relativamente invariati. Nonostante vivano con le persone come animali domestici o vengano impiegati per il controllo dei roditori infestanti, i gatti domestici hanno mantenuto la capacità Mammal Review ISSN 0305-1838 Parole chiave ecologia degli animali da compagnia, gatto domestico, Felis catus, gatto ferale, gestione, pedazione, conservazione della fauna selvatica bs_bs_banner 308

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Section: Access Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers and facilitators of hunting behaviour in domestic cats and options for management

2020

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“…Most Malaysian feline owners own an average of two to three cats, with some having more than 10 cats per household, and they are often managed as semi-roamers [ 1 , 2 ]. Access to the outdoor environment predisposes cats to exposure to infectious agents due to increased encounters with other sick or carrier cats [ 3 ]. Moreover, a recent survey of a single Malaysian state revealed that only 30% of the pet population, including cats, were vaccinated against feline herpesvirus-1, feline calicivirus and Chlamydia psittaci [ 4 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Retrospective Study on Bacteriology, Clinicopathologic and Radiographic Features in 28 Cats Diagnosed with Pyothorax

Sim

Lau

Omar

et al. 2021

Animals

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This retrospective study aimed to determine the etiological, clinicopathological, and radiographic features and outcome of feline pyothorax cases. Medical records from twenty-eight cats with pyothorax aged from 4 months to 10 years (median 10 months) diagnosed between 2013 and 2020 were reviewed. Dyspnoea (75.0%), abnormal lung sounds (75.0%) and open-mouth breathing (64.3%) were the predominant respiratory signs. Leucocytosis (61.5%), particularly monocytosis (68.0%), and hyperglobulinaemia (65.4%) were among the most prominent findings in blood analysis. Bilateral pleural effusion was found in 67.9% of the thoracic radiographs. A total of 47.4% of the cytological samples revealed the presence of bacteria, while all had positive bacterial growth. Pasteurella multocida, E. coli, Streptococcus spp., and Staphylococcus spp. were the predominant aerobic bacteria isolated from pleural effusion samples. A chest tube was placed in 64.3% of the cats and 66.7% of cats with chest tubes survived. In total, 46.4% of cats with pyothorax recovered. Amoxicillin–clavulanate was the antimicrobial of choice against aerobic bacteria found in this study and should be given in combination with antimicrobials that cover anaerobic bacteria. Chest tube placement is crucial for treatment success. Cytological results and bacterial culture may not be consistent; thus, bacterial culture should be performed for every case.

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“…In PC2, cat age also had a higher loading, with a higher frequency of kittens and also of old cats for indoor than for outdoor cats. Perhaps the lethal risks related to outdoor management, such as car accidents [14,15], poisoning and mistreatment [4,16,24] or infectious diseases [4,11,24,48] could be related to the lower occurrence of cats >10 years old in outdoor management.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Maintaining cats exclusively indoors has been associated with behavioral problems [8,20,21], obesity [22], fights (in multi-cat houses) [4], and accidents, including burns and intoxication with cleaning products [23]. Regarding the benefits, outdoor management might promote more mental stimulation, reduce boredom and frustration of a predictable environment, and stimulate more physical activities [23,24]. Indoor cats are regarded as being more protected against several risks that can be lethal, such as mistreatment, poisoning, and motor vehicle accidents [11,23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beloved Whiskers: Management Type, Care Practices and Connections to Welfare in Domestic Cats

Machado

Gonçalves

Vicentini

et al. 2020

Animals

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The quality of cat care practices depends in part on the type of management applied, which either positively or negatively impacts cat welfare. This study investigated whether the type of cat management (indoor vs. outdoor) was related to other cat care practices adopted by cat owners, associated with the quality of human-cat relationships and cat welfare. An online survey was distributed via social networks. Descriptive statistics, categorical Principal Component Analysis, Fisher’s Exact test and Chi-square test in contingency table were applied. A total of 16,302 cat owners returned the survey. Most Brazilian owners reported indoor management of their cats; this was related to owners living in apartments, more frequent use of cat care practices, and more interactions with their pets. Outdoor management was related to cats living in houses or farms, sleeping outdoors or around the neighborhood, and owners had fewer interaction with their pets. In conclusion, owners practicing indoor management seemed to be closer to their cats than owners reporting outdoor management. However, obesity and owner-reported behavioral problems were associated with indoor management.

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Uncontrolled Outdoor Access for Cats: An Assessment of Risks and Benefits

Cited by 55 publications

References 63 publications

Drivers and facilitators of hunting behaviour in domestic cats and options for management

Drivers and facilitators of hunting behaviour in domestic cats and options for management

A Retrospective Study on Bacteriology, Clinicopathologic and Radiographic Features in 28 Cats Diagnosed with Pyothorax

Beloved Whiskers: Management Type, Care Practices and Connections to Welfare in Domestic Cats

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