Paul Smith's College



Management Plan for Feral Cats in Oahu, HawaiiSean Dudenhoeffer 5 May, 2018168529016510 paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Wildlife Concentration, at Paul Smith’s College020000A paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Wildlife Concentration, at Paul Smith’s CollegeTable of ContentsExecutive Summary………………….…………………………………………………………..3Acknowledgements………………….…………………………………………………………...4Introduction………………………….…………………………………………….……………..4Natural History: Habitat……………....………………………………...…………….………….5Diet………………………………….……………………………………………………………5Reproduction……………………….…………………………………………………………….6Reproduction Survivability Table….…………………………………………………………….6Needs Statement: Ecological….……….…………………………………………………………6Population Model…………….……….………………………………………………………….7Needs Statement: Economic……………………………………………………………………..7Needs Statement: Socioculture…………………………………………………………………..7Needs Statement: Legal………………………………………………………………………….8Goal, Objectives, Actions………………………………………………………………………..8AcknowledgementsI would like to thank Dr. Ross Conover and Dr. Jorie Favreau for their efforts in revising and providing their input for this management plan. I would like to thank my fellow colleagues for their peer evaluations and support. I would also like to thank my family for their love and support through this endeavor.Executive SummaryFeral cat (Felis catus) populations are increasing rapidly due to their reproduction frequency and size. On average, four kittens are found per litter two times a year. Feral cats are opportunistic hunters. The diet of feral cats consists of 70% mammals, 16% birds, and 3% reptiles/amphibians. In a closed system, the feral cats range will occupy most areas of the closed system due to their ability to be generalists. On the island of Oahu, Hawaii, feral cat ranges overlap 1.3 million humans. The population of feral cats has been estimated to be 16,000 on Oahu. Recent attempts to decrease the populations due to sociocultural, economic, and ecological issues has resulted in the use of TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Release) programs. A short-term result would be a decrease in populations, however, these programs do not promote the protection of native wildlife that occupy the island of Oahu. There are currently no effective management plans that create an effort to manage for the wildlife populations where there is an overabundance of feral cats, while providing a humane strategy of eradication to please the public. The goal of this management plan is to decrease the population of feral cats on the island of Oahu to protect the native wildlife which inhabits Oahu. The objectives that are required to obtain this goal include decreasing the survivorship of weaning cats by 42% by using drop fall traps and hunting, increasing the eradication rate by 6.6% every year from the shelter or shelters by creating an adoption program and euthanasia protocol, and increasing awareness of feral cat problems via survey in 1 year and passing legislation that regulates feral cat feeding, abandonment, and introduction in to the wild. When implemented, this plan will decrease feral cat populations on Oahu which will decrease the predation on native small mammals, birds, and reptiles/amphibians. IntroductionFeral cats to be tolerated by humans who occupied urban development approximately 12,000 years ago (Plantinga et al. 2011). This tolerance was cofounded when hunters and gatherers were switching lifestyles and devoting their time to agriculture near the Fertile Crescent (Plantinga et al. 2011). Domesticated cats spread with humans during the immigration of humans to the east of the Fertile Crescent. This allowed the once domesticated cat to become feral, hence the term “feral cat” (Plantinga et al. 2011). There can be up to several hundred feral cats (Felis catus) per square kilometer. When on an island, populations such as several hundred feral cats per square kilometer can be difficult to manage (Gutilla and Stapp, 2010). The potential for increase in disease frequency and abundance increases when the population of feral cats occupies a relatively small habitat (Gutilla and Stapp, 2010). In North America, 3.5 million feral cats are euthanized every year for diseases that haven’t been treated, not becoming adopted, and there not being enough room in shelters to shelter the feral cats (Bartlett et al. 2005). Inaccurate surveying of the euthanasia rates of feral cats in adoption shelters resulted a rate documented at 20%. Other studies have shown the actual rate of euthanasia is closer to 57% in large, government owned shelters. Small, private shelters tended to have a euthanasia rate of 29% (Barlett et al. 2005). On average, the adoption rate of cats in adoption shelters is 20% (Bartlett et al. 2005). At these rates, there is still an issue with growth and destruction of feral cat populations.Programs such as trap-neuter-release (TNR) are proposed solutions that attempt to solve the growing feral cat populations problem. Two types of management are involved with TNR. One of the management strategy is to trap the individual, remove the individual from the wild, have the individual neutered, and release the individual. The other management strategy is trap and return the individual to the owner or euthanize the individual (Anderson et al. 2004). TNR programs are put in to place to utilize a euthanasia protocol due to the recognition of effective eradication, while at the same time avoiding emotional input from key stakeholders (Anderson et al. 2004). TNR programs fail to become a long term, large scale fix for the feral cat problem for populations and fail to consider the wildlife that feral cats predate when feral (Anderson et al. 2004). Alternative management plans that are similar to TNR could benefit and solve the feral cat issue (Anderson 2004).The research that has been performed and current methods of eradication of feral cats have not tended to every single person’s beliefs, morals, or motives (Lepczyck et al. 2009). Currently, the population of feral cats on the island of Oahu, HI is over 16,000, which is too many individuals to avoid a euthanasia protocol (Lepczyck et al. 2009). Keeping feral cats in the wild containing diseases, spreading diseases, and living in poor conditions is considered more cruelty of a treatment than euthanasia (Lepczyck et al. 2009). The actions contained in this management plan, if implemented correctly, will effectively decrease the population of feral cats on the island of Oahu, HI for the protection of the native wildlife, while performing humane tactics and providing humane opportunities for the public.Natural HistoryHabitatInformation about the feral cat movement and cover requirements are potential knowledge to help guide this management plan (Edwards et al. 2001). Feral cats are small, opportunistic predators that require little vegetation for predation (McGregor et al. 2015). Feral cats can be found in open areas a majority of the time due to their predation habits (McGregor et al. 2015). In Northern Italy, it was found that feral cats would hunt in meadows, but the feral cats would avoid farm fields, which correlates with open areas (Molsher 1999). Predation at highest success occurs in areas that have been simplified by either over grazing of the vegetation or a natural fire. Simplified open areas create a predation success rate of up to 70% for feral cats (McGregor et al. 2015). Studies have shown that feral cats can be found in a closed habitat with good cover rather than an open habitat with little to no cover for predating to avoid other potential predators (Molsher 1999). Other studies found that there was not a significant influence to hunting with or without cover (McGregor et al. 2015). When nightfall occurs, feral cats will take shelter in hollow stumps, brush-like habitat, crevices in stone, and in bushes (Edwards et al, 2001). Other than open habitats, one study found that creek lines, mulga woodland, and rocky hills were habitats that cats preferred (Edwards et al. 2001). Cats would most likely be found in an open habitat for hunting and use the woodland and forested habitats to seek shelter (Molsher 1999).DietFeral cats are strictly carnivores (Plantinga et al. 2011). The most frequently predated group of organisms are mammals (Matias and Catry, 2008). Mammals that were fast and rapid in their movements were selected more than the mammals that did not move around (Matias and Catry, 2008). A feral cat’s diet consists of 78% of small mammals, 16% of birds, 3.7% of reptiles/amphibians, and 1.2% invertebrates (Plantinga et al. 2011). In terms of biomass, 3% of a feral cat’s diet was linked to humans (Plantinga et al. 2011). A study found that rodents were 50% of feral cats’ diet by weight (Langham 1990). One study found that, by terms of biomass, rats consisted 95.8% of feral cats’ diet (Plantinga et al. 2011). Another study found that only 30% of the biomass of a feral cat’s diet was rats (Langham 1990). Other studies found that 83% and 96.6% of the feral cats’ diet consisted of seabirds (Plantinga et al. 2011). Areas where birds are a main prey source for feral cats most likely are lacking a mammalian population, potentially increasing the predation of a variety of birds by 40-50% (Matias and Catry, 2008). One study found that there was a very low percentage of birds predated by feral cats that reached 1% (Matias and Catry, 2008). The diet of feral cats varies with availability. Based on the literature, if mammalian populations are available for prey, feral cats will select mammals first. If mammals are not present in an area, birds are predated more frequently. ReproductionFeral cats will reproduce typically between 7 months and 12 months of age, which is the time after they have stopped weaning from the mother and have become independent (Ogan and Jurek, 1998). Feral cats will have, on average, 1.5 litters a year, and 4 kittens can be found in a litter (Levy and Crawford, 2004). If feral cats are very active, they can average up to 2 litters per year (Aarde and Skinner, 1981). This all depends on the survivability of each stage in the life cycle of a feral cat (Figure 1). Figure 1: The survivability of each life stage of a feral cat. The first 3 stages are estimates based on peer-reviewed literature (Van Aarde and Skinner, 1998). This plan follows that birth consists of the day of birth. A kitten will wait two weeks before opening their eyes. The weaning cat stage ranges from 2 weeks to 7 months of age. Cats will establish independence from their parent from 7 to 1 year of age. The adult stage is from 1 year to mortality.Needs StatementsEcologicalFeral cats are one of the worst non-native species in the world, especially in closed systems (Loss et al. 2013). Feral cats are opportunistic hunters, and their prey are not adapted to have a behavior to avoid feral cats as a predator (Bengsen et al. 2011; Gutilla and Stapp, 2010). Feral cats’ diet consists of 78% mammals, and other evidence showed that the feral cats’ average diet consisted of 16% bird skeletons, 3.7% reptiles/amphibian, 3% plants, 1.2% invertebrates, and 0.3% (Platinga et al. 2011). Feral cats are the reason for the mortality of up to 4 billion birds and up to 22.3 billion mammals every year (Loss et al. 2013). On islands, feral cats are responsible for 33 extinctions in the mammal, bird, and reptile groups (Loss et al. 2013). Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) projects have been put in place to reduce the populations of feral cats. These programs are short term and will not solve the long-term issue. TNR projects do not surpass 10 years due to the life span of the generations of feral cats, thus resulting in poorly documented records of TNR projects (Gutilla and Stapp, 2010). The current population data that has been collected shows an exponential growth rate (Figure 2). For limiting populations of feral cats, diseases, such as feline leukemia virus were introduced (Danner et al. 2007). These diseases were then transmitted to the wildlife that feral cats predated on (Danner et al. 2007). Today, feline leukemia virus is one of the most prevalent diseases in feral cat populations on a global scale, especially in closed systems like islands (Danner et al. 2007). Other diseases, such as feline immunodeficiency and Toxoplasma gondii, can be found as well (Levy et al. 2006). Toxoplasma gondii can be found to be transmitted to humans as well via a bite from a feral cat, the consumption of raw meat, and/or encountering feral cat feces (Kapperud et al. 1996). This protozoan can also be found in run offs in an area after a big storm, which then flows to the ocean, potentially infecting marine species (Kapperud et al. 1996). Figure 2: The population projection in current feral cat populations (hollow circle line) and the population projection after implementation of this management plan (solid circle line). EconomicThe damage done, from a financial standpoint, by feral cat predation reaches billions of dollars every year (Lohr et al. 2012). This number is relative due to the estimated population numbers because of the low detectability of feral cats, which results in estimations in damages (Bengsen et al. 2011). These financial estimates are determined by the species predated value, which is determined by the predated species ecosystem services that species provides. On islands, 33 species from mammals, birds, and reptiles have become extinct because of feral cat predation (Plantinga et al. 2011). The species is responsible for this financial deficit of ecosystem services is feral cats. This results with additional costs due to additional veterinarian visits.SocioculturalFinding the balance between feral cats and humans needs to be determined via public outreach. A survey was given to 5,407 residents of Hawaii. All computerized, the survey would determine the level of awareness about feral cats the survey performer may have. Of the 1510 that were sent back, 86% of the respondents said the population needs to decrease (Lohr and Lepczyk, 2013). In the survey, 73.5% of the respondents were aware that feral cats were putting endangered and threatened species at risk for becoming endangered or extinct. Some of the participants, 41.3%, in the survey said they saw feral cats every day, and 44.7% said they had increases in the population of feral cats (Lohr and Lepczyk, 2013). Lethal methods of eradication of feral cats has been shown to be effective. Stakeholders, however, do not agree with methods of lethal eradication (Peterson et al. 2012). Key stakeholders are required to have an opinion on lethal methods of eradication. However, most key stakeholders are against the idea of euthanasia (Peterson et al. 2012). Females and citizens in urban areas tend to be against euthanasia of feral cats while men in rural areas tend to be for euthanasia. Education to the public is required before a conclusion can be in support of euthanasia is a possibility (Peterson et al. 2012). LegalCurrently, there are laws set in place that approve the eradication of invasive species, including feral cats (Gardner 2011). The Department of Land and Natural Resources is able to eliminate predators that pose harm to wildlife in public game areas and forest reserves (§183D-65(a)). This law ties in to another law that states that the eradication of an invasive species (§194-2). To prevent the ownership of feral cats, a current law in place states that any person who claims ownership of the feral cat(s) will be charged for any damages that the individual(s) have caused (§663-9(a)). A person does not have to be an owner to be fined for feral cat destruction or harm. If anyone has any knowledge of someone or something becoming affected by a disease that spread from a feral cat will be fined (§142-13). Animal cruelty, by law, will be punished accordingly based on first or second-degree cruelty (§711-1108.5: §711-1109). These laws currently in place are not efficiently being enforced by police departments in the state of Hawaii (Gardner 2011). Stronger enforcement of these laws could result in the decrease of interest of feeding, housing, or promoting the growth of feral cat populations.Goals, Objectives, and ActionsGoal: Decrease the population of feral cats in Oahu, Hawaii to protect natural habitat and native wildlife.Objective 1: Indirectly influence the decrease the population of feral cats by attempting public outreach and education by survey 100% of residential addresses in Oahu in one year. Action 1.1: Surveys will be sent in the mail, available at the veterinary’s office, grocery store hand-outs, and door-to-door knocking will take place to allow the public to become aware of the impacts that are caused by letting cats roam outside (Natioli et al. 2006). Every residency in Hawaii will have had received the survey either physically or electronically by one year. This will contribute to the knowledge of where the most feeding and sheltering of feral cats could be in Oahu (Natioli et al. 2006). This survey will also contain information stating that the shelter will take in feral cats for free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is to prevent the introduction of a domestic cat to the wild. The surveys can be returned through a reply electronically or sent to the address for which the implementors of the plan hold an office or shelter (Appenix II).Rationale: Getting involved with the public and educating them on how feral cats and free ranging cats have a negative impact on wildlife can make a difference. When the public gains knowledge about what consequences their actions are having on something they may know nothing about, the public begins to be self-aware (Peterson et al. 2012).Action 1.2: Stronger law enforcement against feeding feral cats and abandoning cats will take place and higher fines will be given if found guilty or caught in the act (Voslarva and Passantino, 2012). More frequent patrols by police officers will be requested to take placed in areas in which the surveys returned had the most positive responses towards feeding and housing the feral cats (Voslarva and Passantino, 2012). Depending on how the questions on the survey were answered in correlation to where that survey is being returned from will determine areas of concern for the police department.Rationale: Currently there are laws in place and fines set at a price for feeding and housing feral cats, but for law enforcement to enforce the law is difficult (Gardner 2010). Informing the public about the current laws in place for feral cats and raising the penalty for feeding/housing the cats will bring more attention to the issue. More frequent patrols by the officers will suggest to the public that law enforcement is patrolling for any illegal activity, therefore having the public who is feeding or housing feral cats become aware that the law is watching.No Action: People will not be knowledgeable of the potential damaging that they may be allowing by letting their cat go outside and/or abandon their cat. People will continue to feed feral cats and/or house feral cats, allowing the population to grow.Rationale: With the public being unaware of the consequences to their actions of letting their cats roam free, they will allow for the introduction of cats in to the wild (Peterson et al. 2012). This will increase the predation rate of birds, mammals, and reptiles substantially. Final Action: Both actions 1.1 and 1.2 will be taken in to affect in the managing of feral cats. Assessment Protocol: Surveys with educational information about feral cats attached will be sent to all residential addresses in urban and suburban areas that consists of questions that ask about the recipient’s interactions, sightings, and potential damage associated with feral cats. In rural areas and farms, a representative of the study will call or personally talk to citizens about the potential problems feral cats cause (Centonze and Levy, 2002). The objective will be met also when surveys have been presented either physically or electronically to every residential address on the island.Objective 2: Decrease the survivorship of weaning cats in the wild by 42 percent in 15 years. Note that decreasing survivorship for this management plan includes mortality and removal from the wild. Action 2.1: Diseases, such as feline leukemia, could be introduced in to the wild (Levy et al. 2006). When an feral cat is caught in a trap, the individual will be injected with feline leukemia, and then be released in to the wild (Levy et al. 2006). This feral cat will interact with other feral cats in the population, thus transmitting the disease. This disease will spread and prevent the growth of the population via lethal eradication (Levy et al. 2006).Rationale: Feline leukemia is one of the most abundant diseases in feral cats (Levy et al. 2006). This is partly due to previous studies that used feline leukemia to prevent the growth of feral cat populations. These studies noted that the disease was spreading to the prey of the feral cats (Levy et al. 2006). Diseases were affecting up to 20 percent of the population where up to 12.4 percent of feral cats had the disease (Danner et al. 2007). Educating the public about disease and the impacts on other species will create awareness in the public. Action 2.2: A top predator will be introduced to the island of Oahu that has suitable habitat available on the island to have self-sustaining populations (Gutilla and Stapp, 2010). This will allow the predation of feral cats and decrease the population because there are no current predator species on the island of Oahu that predate feral cats, making them the top predator (Gutilla and Stapp, 2010). Rationale: Feral cats are opportunistic hunters that can have a population density of up to several hundred cats per kilometer squared (Gutilla and Stapp, 2010). Introducing a predator to the island will lead the decrease in predation of birds, mammals, and reptiles for which feral cats predate on (Plantinga et al. 2011). This would create a predator on the island, which feral cats do not currently have. The public may be unaware that feral cats are the worst predators in Hawaii.Action 2.3: Large, baited drop traps, containing a bottomless cage, will be set in habitats across the island due to the feral cats capability to be adaptable to multiple habitats and the ability to be generalists (Algar et al. 2010). These traps will be large enough to catch up to 5 individuals in one catch due to the dependency of weaning cats to the parent (Algar et al. 2010). The parent will search and find the food in the trap, and the weaning cats will follow the parent in to the trap. Rationale: Trapping weaning cats will affect the population of feral cats with the highest percentage (the elasticity model). For targeting weaning cats, a trap with cage wiring will be most effective (Moseby et al. 2015). This targets the curiosity of weaning cats (Moseby et al. 2015). When cats are in the weaning stage, they will typically follow the mother to food sources while transitioning from mother’s milk to actual food. If the trap is large enough, the trap will catch potentially the mother and most/all the young cats (Moseby et al. 2015). Action 2.4: Hunting will take place to locate the cats and extirpate them from the wild with little restrictions (Bester et al. 2002). Teams of 3 will travel to a random, designated, mapped area at a time in different parts of the island to hunt for feral cats of any age, however having a target age group for weaning cats (Bester et al. 2002). After 2 years, 90% of the island where habitat suitability is highest and legal to hunt will have been walked/hunted through for hunting purposes for feral cats (Bester et al 2002).Rationale: Hunting alone does not have a significant effect on the population of feral cats, which has been shown in other studies (Parkes et al. 2014). Those same studies have displayed that the effectiveness of hunting increases when both methods, hunting and trapping, are operating at the same time (Parkes et al. 2014). Hunting will take place beyond the scope of the plan to reduce the potential reintroduction of a population of feral cats.No Action: The survivorship of the weaning cats will remain the same, which will allow the population of feral cats to increase exponentially with time (figure 2). No action taken place would result in the incline of feral cat populations on the island of Oahu (Levy et al. 2004).Final Action: Both actions 2.3 and 2.4 will be implemented in to the plan. Hunting and trapping simultaneously has been shown to work more effectively than to have no action or just hunting (Parkes et al. 2014).Assessment ProtocolGPS collars and mapping will be required to assess objective 1 at the 15-year deadline. A randomly selected cat will be trapped and collared with a GPS unit. The GPS unit will track the cat until the cat has reached mortality (Recio et al. 2010). The GPS unit will locate the randomly selected cats, a visual count survey of kittens weaning to the collared parent will be performed, and this will determine the number of feral kittens and cats are present. At the 15-year deadline, if the management plan is correctly and efficiently implemented, the average number of weaning kittens will drop 42 percent from 58 percent. The number of weaning cats seen with the GPS collared individual will be 1 kitten or 0 kittens, compared to the beginning of the study where adult cats would be found to have more than 1. If the plan does not complete objective 1, then more than one weaning cat will be found with the parent, comparative to the data before the plan implementation. Objective 3: Increase eradication rate of trapped cats to 6.33 percent every year in the shelters. Note that eradication entails euthanasia and adoption from the shelter.Action 3.1: Shelters will be built with funding provided by an approved grant from the state and will have cats that will be available for citizens who are geographically located outside of the Hawaii islands to adopt the feral cats, therefore eradicating trapped cats from the island (Levey and Crawford, 2004). These shelters will house enough feral cats to be able to take in cats as many as there are feral cats leaving via adoption or euthanasia (Levey and Crawford, 2004). The shelter will also have an online website to provide the opportunity to adopt a cat overseas considering the feral cats must be eradicated from the island to decrease the population. Training and Vaccination will occur at the shelters before adoption has taken place.Rationale: Isolation is an effective method of extracting a disease that could potentially be present in the feral cat and to prevent predation on the wildlife (Levy et al. 2006). Isolation and eradication from the island while providing a humane method of eradication will provide a compromise with the public and stakeholders (Peterson et al. 2012). Removing the feral cat with the disease from the wild prevents the disease from spreading. Action 3.2: Euthanasia will take place in the shelter, after a wait period of 21 days, if no expressed interest is expressed in the adoption of the cat and/or the cat is untrainable to allow for more room in the shelters (Loyd and Miller, 2010). A flow of equal emigration and immigration of cats in the shelter is required to be efficient in the eradication of feral cats (Loyd and Miller, 2010). Rationale: Behavior problems are one of the top reasons why euthanasians occur in shelters that take in cats and dogs (Salman et al. 1998). The 21-day period allows for the potential of a feral cat to adapt to human confrontation. If the feral cat displays positive social interactions in the first 21 days, a 6 day extension will take place to allow more time for adoption.No Action: Cats will continue to occupy the island in a closed system.Rationale: Two of the most effective methods to decrease a population is to geographically isolate the cats or euthanasia (Levy et al. 2006). When neither is performed, the population of feral cats will either remain the same or increase. Final Action: Both actions 3.1 and 3.2 will take effect in the managing of feral cats. Assessment ProtocolThe increase of eradication rates will be determined using statistical analysis and modeling the population eradication rate using the Ricker model (Foley et al. 2005). The population growth will be measure before the implementation of the plan to develop a start point for the data. Using the data that is gathered from trapping the feral cats, the study will determine the population size and growth (Foley et al. 2005). In comparison from current, relative population data over previous population data can determine the population trend as well. The objective will be met when there is a negative correlation or a 0 representing no population in the Ricker model. Literature Cited:Algar, D., G. J. Angus, R. I. Brazell, C. Gilbert, G. B. Withnell. 2010. Eradication of feral cats on Faure Island, Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 93:133-140Andersen, M. C., B. J. Martin, G. W. Roemer. 2004. Use of matrix population models to estimate the efficacy of euthanasia versus trap-neuter-return for management of free-roaming cats. Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association 225:1871-1876Bartlett, P. C., A. Bartlett, S. Walshaw, S. Halstead. 2005. Rates of euthanasia and adoption for dogs and cats in Michigan animal shelters. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 8:97-104Bengsen, A., J. Butler, P. Masters. 2011. Estimating and indexing feral cat population abundances using camera traps. Wildlife Research. . Bester, M. N., J. P. Bloomer, R. J. van Aarde, B. H. Erasmus, P. J. J. van Rensburg, J. D. Skinner, P. G. Howell, T. W. Naude. 2002. A review of the successful eradication of feral cats from sub-Antarctic Marion Island, Southern Indian Ocean. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 32:65-73 Centonze, L. A., J. K. Levy. 2002. Characteristics of free-roaming cats and their caretakers. Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association 11:1627-1633Danner, R. M., D. M. Goltz, S. C. Hess, P. C. Banko. 2007. Evidence of felineimmunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus, and Toxoplasma gondii in feral cats on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 43:315-318Edwards, G. P., N. De Preu, B. J. Shakeshaft, I. V. Crealy, R. M. Paltridge. 2001. Home range and movements of male feral cats (Felis catus) in a semiarid woodland environment in central Australia. Austral Ecology 26:93-104Foley, P., J. E. Foley, J. K. Levy, T. Paik. 2005. Analysis of the impact of trap-neuter-return programs on populations of feral cats. Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association 11:1775-1781Frank, A. S. K., C. N. Johnson, J. M. Potts, A. Fisher. M. J. Lawes, J. C. Z. Woinarski, K. Tuft, I. J. Radford, I. J. Gordon, M. A. Collis, S. Legge. 2014. Experimental evidence that feral cats cause local extirpation of small mammals in Australia’s tropical savannas. Journal of Applied Ecology 51:1486-1493Gardner, E. A. 2011. Legal issues associated with Kauai county’s feral cat population. USAJessup, D. A. 2004. The welfare of feral cats and wildlife. Journal of the American VeterinaryMedical Association 225:1377-1383Kapperud, G., P. A. Jenum, B. Stray-Pedersen, K. K. Melby, A. Eskild, J. Eng. 1996. Risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnancy. American Journal of Epidermiology 144:405-412Kingsley, G. (2015) Distribution and corelates of feral cat trapping permits in Los Angeles, Caifornia. Thesis. University of Southern California. Los Angeles, USALangham, N.P.E., 1990. The diet of feral cats (Felis catus L.) on Hawke’s Bay farmland, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 17:243-255Lepczyck, C. A., N. Dauphine, D. M. Bird, S. Conant, R. J. Cooper, D. C. Duffy, P. J. Hatley, P. P. Marra, E. Stone, S. A. Temple. 2009. What conservation biologists can do to counter trap-neuter-return: response to Longcore et al. Journal of Conservation Biology Levy. J. K., H. M. Scott, J. L. Lachtara, P. C. Crawford. 2006. Seroprevalence of feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus infection among cats in North America and risk factors for serpositivity. Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association. 228:371-376Levy, J. K., P. C. Crawford. 2004. Humane strategies for controlling feral cat populations.Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 225:1354-1360Lohr, C. A., L. J. Cox, C. A. Lepczyk. 2012. Costs and benefits of trap-neuter-release and euthanasia for removal of urban cats in Oahu. Conservation Biology. DOI: 10.1111/J.1523-1739.2012.01935.xLohr, C. A., C. A. Lepczyk. 2013. Desires and Management Preferences of Stakeholders Regarding Feral Cats in the Hawaiian Islands. Conservation Biology 28:392-403Loss, S. R., T. Will, P.P. Marra. 2013. The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States. Nature Communications. 4:1396. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2380 Loyd, K. A. T., C. A. Miller. 2010. Influence of demographics, experience and value orientationson preferences for lethal management of feral cats. Human Dimensions of Wildlife 15:262-273Matias, R., P. Catry. 2008. The diet of feral cats at New Island, Falkland Islands, and impact on breeding seabirds. Polar Biology 31:609-616McGregor, H., Legge S, Jones M. E., Johnson C.N. 2015. Feral cats are better killers in open habitats, revealed by animal-bome video. PLoS ONE 10:e0133915. Doi: 10.1371/journalMillán, J., J. C. Casanova. 2009. High prevalence of helminth parasites in feral cats in MajorcaIsland (Spain). Parasitology Research 106:183-188Molsher, R. L. 1999. The ecology of feral cats, Felis catus, in open forest in New South Whales: Interactions with food resources and foxes. Thesis. University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.Moseby, K. E., D. E. Peacock, J. L. Read. 2015. Catastrophic cat predation: a call for predator profiling in wildlife protection programs. Journal of Biological Conservation 191:331- 340Natoli, E., L. Maragliano, Giuseppe, C. A. Faini, R. Bonanni, S. Cafazzo, C. Fantini. 2006. Management of feral domestic cats in the urban environment of Rome (Italy). Journal of Preventive Veterinary Medicine. Parkes, J., P. Fisher, S. Robinson, A. Aguirre-Munoz. 2014. Eradication of feral cats from large Islands: an assessment of the effort required for success. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 38:0-0Plantinga, E. A., G. Bosh, W. H. Hendriks. 2011. Estimation of the dietary nutrient profile of free-roaming feral cats: possible implications for nutrition of domestic cats. British Journal of Nutrition 106: S35-S48Ogan, C. V., R. M. Jurek. (1998) Biology and ecology of feral, free-roaming, and stray cats. Mesocarnivores of Northern California Biology, Management, & Survey Techniques. Pgs 87-91Ratcliffe, N., M. Bell, T. Pelembe, D. Boyle, R. B. R. White, B. Godley, J. Stevenson, S.Sanders. 2009. The eradication of feral cats from Ascension Island and its subsequent recolonization by seabirds. Fauna & Flora International 44:20-29Recio, M. R., R. Mathieu, R. Maloney, P. J. Seddon. 2010. First results of feral cats (Felis catus) monitored with GPS collars in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 34:00-00Scott, K. C., J. K. Levy, S. P. Gorman, S. M. Newell. 2002. Body Condition of Feral Cats andthe effect of neutering. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 5:203-213Van Aarde, R. J., J. D. Skinner. 1981. The feral cat population at Marion Island: characteristics, colonization and control. Colloque sur Les Ecosystems Subantarctiques pg 97-91Voslarva, E., A. Passantino. 2012. Stray dog and cat laws and enforcement in Czech Republic and in Italy. Ann Ist Super Sanita 48 97-104Zasloff, R. L., L. A. Hart. 1998. Attitudes and care practices of cat caretakers in Hawaii.Anthrozo?s 11:242-248Appendices Appendix I: Sensitivity and Elasticity AnalysisTable 1: The sensitivity and elasticity matrices explain which of the 5 life stages (birth, eyes open, weaning, independent, and adult) of feral cats would have the highest impact on the population. The vertical axis represents the 5 life stages as well. The largest values in the blue in the sensitivity matrix shows what life stage is most influential in population changes. The highest number in the elasticity matrix shows that if the population of the weaning cats was changed by 1%, .219% of the population would be impacted. Appendix II: Sample SurveyThis survey is an effort towards solving the feral cat problem in Oahu, HI. Please fill out the questions below and send to returner’s address.Do you own any cats?Yes B. No If question number 1 was answered Yes, how many? __________________________Do you own cats that go outside? Yes B. NoDo you support the feeding of feral/wild cats?Yes B. NoDo you support providing homemade shelters/homes for feral/wild cats? Yes B. NoDo you support TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Release) programs for feral/wild cat population control? Yes B. Noright392430The introduction of cats poses a threat to the native wildlife in Oahu, HI. Feral cats also can transfer diseases to domestic cats. Avoid these possibilities by having house cats that do not go outside. If a feral cat has been caught or you don’t want your cat anymore, please bring the cat to the shelter address from which this survey was sent from. We appreciate your efforts towards conserving Hawaii’s precious wildlife! Mahalo!020000The introduction of cats poses a threat to the native wildlife in Oahu, HI. Feral cats also can transfer diseases to domestic cats. Avoid these possibilities by having house cats that do not go outside. If a feral cat has been caught or you don’t want your cat anymore, please bring the cat to the shelter address from which this survey was sent from. We appreciate your efforts towards conserving Hawaii’s precious wildlife! Mahalo! ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download