feral cats
hunter stray wild
ABOUT feral cats
Feral cats live everywhere on this planet, except Antarctica1. The estimated worldwide feral cat population is at least 100 million cats2. Feral cats are listed as one of the top 100 worst invasive species on our planet3, and their presence on many islands can be attributed to ship trading routes in the 19th century4.
A feral cat is defined as a free-living, untamed cat that lacks human socialization1 and mainly eats food scavenged from human garbage5, hunting of wildlife6, or cat food provided by humans2.
Cats are prolific reproducers, and individuals become sexually active as young as six months of age. Reproduction can occur throughout the year, but is typically dependent on temperature and climate of their environment. A single female cat can produce as many as three litters a year, with each litter having an average of three kittens. This means one female cat can produce nine kittens a year. A female cat producing just two successful offspring a year is sufficient to establish a stable colony of feral cats7.
Feral cats prey on over 1,000 species, preferring smaller mammals but will attack and kill vertebrates and invertebrates. Mice, rats, sparrows, and blackbirds are the most likely prey items6,8,9. In the United States alone, cats can be attributed to the death of one to four billion birds and six to 22 billion mammals10.
Besides the impact on wildlife, the population of feral cats attributes to the spread of many diseases, such as rabies, toxoplasmosis, and are vectors for internal parasites11. Feral cats can create large public nuisance issues, such as fighting, loud or frequent noises, or marking of urine/spraying12.
But there are options. This website was designed to discuss the problems associated with feral cats, options for population control, and the ways you can help.
A feral cat is defined as a free-living, untamed cat that lacks human socialization1 and mainly eats food scavenged from human garbage5, hunting of wildlife6, or cat food provided by humans2.
Cats are prolific reproducers, and individuals become sexually active as young as six months of age. Reproduction can occur throughout the year, but is typically dependent on temperature and climate of their environment. A single female cat can produce as many as three litters a year, with each litter having an average of three kittens. This means one female cat can produce nine kittens a year. A female cat producing just two successful offspring a year is sufficient to establish a stable colony of feral cats7.
Feral cats prey on over 1,000 species, preferring smaller mammals but will attack and kill vertebrates and invertebrates. Mice, rats, sparrows, and blackbirds are the most likely prey items6,8,9. In the United States alone, cats can be attributed to the death of one to four billion birds and six to 22 billion mammals10.
Besides the impact on wildlife, the population of feral cats attributes to the spread of many diseases, such as rabies, toxoplasmosis, and are vectors for internal parasites11. Feral cats can create large public nuisance issues, such as fighting, loud or frequent noises, or marking of urine/spraying12.
But there are options. This website was designed to discuss the problems associated with feral cats, options for population control, and the ways you can help.
- National Geographic WILD. "Wild Side of Cats" Retrieved from http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/destination-wild/galleries/wild-side-of-cats/at/wide-eyed2-1005417/
- McLamb, E. (2013). The global impact of feral cats. Ecology Global Network. Retreived from: http://www.ecology.com/2013/08/27/global-impact-feral-cats/
- Lowe S., Browne M., Boudjelas S., De Poorter M. (2000). 100 of the world’s worst invasive alien species: A selection from the Global Invasive Species Database. The Invasive Species Specialist Group, 1 - 12.
- Koch, K., Algar, D., & Schwenk, K. (2016). Feral cat globetrotters: Genetic traces of historical human-mediated dispersal. Ecology and Evolution, 6(15), 5321 - 5332.
- Fitzgerald, M.B., & Turner, D. (2000). Hunting behaviour of domestic cats and their impact on prey populations. In Turner, D.C., & Bateson, P. (Eds.), The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behaviour, 2nd Ed. (153 - 154). New York, New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Lepczyk, C.A., Lohr, C.A., Duffy, D.C. (2015). A review of cat behavior in relation to disease risk and management options. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 173, 29 - 39.
- Root, M.V., Johnston, S.D., & Olson, P.N. (1995). Estrous length, pregnancy rate, gestation and parturition lengths, litter size, and juvenile mortality in the domestic cat. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 31(5), 429 - 433.
- Dickman, C.R. (1996). Overview of the impacts of feral cats on Australian native fauna. Australian Nature Conservation Agency.
- Plantiga, E.A., Bosch, G., Hendriks, W.H. (2011). Estimation of the dietary nutrient profile of free-roaming feral cats: possible implications for nutrition of domestic cats. The British Journal of Nutrition, 106, 35 - 48.
- Loss, S.R., Will, T., & Marra, P.P. (2013). The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife in the United States. Nature Communications, 4.
- Loyd, K.A., & Miller, C.A. (2010). Factors related to preference for trap-neuter-release management of feral cats among Illinois Homeowners. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 74(1), 160 - 165.
- Gosling, L., Stavisky, J., & Dean, R. (2013). What is a feral cat?: Variation in definitions may be associated with different management strategies. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 15(9), 759 - 764.
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Problems & Mechanisms
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