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1.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the number of unowned free-roaming cats in a college community in the southern United States and identify the characteristics of community residents who feed these cats. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, random-digit telephone survey. SAMPLE POPULATION: 587 households in Alachua County, Florida, surveyed between March 1 and May 10, 1999. PROCEDURE: Telephone surveys were conducted, and respondents were asked questions about feeding of unowned free-roaming cats. RESULTS: 70 (12%) households fed free-roaming cats; mean +/- SD number of free-roaming cats fed per household was 3.6 +/- 1.9. Households that fed free-roaming cats were more likely to own pet cats than were households that did not feed free-roaming cats; however, 30 of 70 (43%) households feeding free-roaming cats did not own cats or dogs. Although the percentage of pet cats that were neutered was high (90%), only 8 (11%) households that fed free-roaming cats attempted to have such cats neutered. The free-roaming cat population was estimated to represent approximately 44% of the population of cats in the county. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that unowned free-roaming cats may represent a substantial portion of the total cat population in a region. Public policies and education programs aimed at reducing cat overpopulation should include provisions for neutering unowned free-roaming cats, and efforts should target the general public, not only pet owners, because not all households that feed unowned free-roaming cats own pets.  相似文献   

2.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate cat population size, management, and outside fecal deposition and evaluate attitudes of cat owners and nonowners to stray animal control, water pollution, and wildlife protection. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SAMPLE POPULATION: 294 adult residents of Cayucos, Los Osos, and Morro Bay, Calif. PROCEDURES: Telephone survey. RESULTS: The region's cat population was estimated at 7,284 owned and 2,046 feral cats, and 38% of surveyed households owned a mean of 1.9 cats/household. Forty-four percent of cats defecated outside >75% of the time. Annual fecal deposition (wet weight) by owned cats in the 3 communities was estimated to be 77.6 tonnes (76.4 tons). Cat owners were more likely to oppose cat licensing and impounding stray cats and support trap-neuter-return for stray cats and less likely to be concerned about water pollution, than were noncat owners. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Feral cats represented a sizeable proportion (22%) of the free roaming cats in this area and could be contributing 30.0 tonnes (29.5 tons) of feces to the environment per year. However, feral cats are not the principal source of fecal loading because owned cats defecating outdoors contribute an estimated 77.6 tonnes (76.4 tons) or 72% of the annual outdoor fecal deposition.  相似文献   

3.
A cross-sectional telephone survey of randomly selected households examined the extent and types of problems associated with free-roaming dogs and cats in the Teramo province of Italy. The households were sampled randomly within each municipality; municipalities were combined into coastal, central hills and mountain regions for analysis. The survey was conducted in May and June of 2004 with a response rate of 74% (397/536). Ninety percent of respondents (N=356) believed that free-roaming dogs and cats were a problem. They were most commonly concerned about personal safety, followed by animal welfare, public health and environmental sanitation. Sixty-nine percent of respondents (274) actually saw free-roaming dogs or cats where they live. While dogs were most commonly seen, cats were seen in greater numbers. Overall, 10% (39/297) and 5% (21/397) of respondents cared for free-roaming cats and dogs, respectively. Two-thirds of the respondents (251/397) believed that animals were abandoned because the owners lost interest. About 2/3 of respondents (251/397) reported that the community government should have the responsibility for dealing with free-roaming dogs and cats. The respondents supported the idea of building more shelters and controlling the birth rate as control measures rather than euthanizing dogs and cats. The results suggest that free-roaming dogs and cats are a very common sight in this part of Italy with substantial concerns by the residents. However, concerns about the animals' welfare were clearly raised, supporting the laws that make it illegal to euthanize a healthy dog or cat in Italy. Using the information from this study, research on the underlying causes of abandonment of dogs and cats or failing to sterilize them should be undertaken to begin to address this problem. Further, national and regional funding must be provided to support existing laws which should help protect and eventually decrease the numbers of free-roaming and homeless dogs and cats.  相似文献   

4.
OBJECTIVE: To estimate disease prevalence among dogs and cats in the United States and Australia and proportions of dogs and cats that receive therapeutic diets or dietary supplements. DESIGN: Telephone survey. Sample Population-Dog and cat owners located in 5 geographic areas. PROCEDURES: A telephone survey was administered to dog and cat owners. RESULTS: Of 18,194 telephone calls that were made, 1,104 (6%) were to individuals who owned at least 1 dog or cat and agreed to participate. Information was collected for 635 dogs and 469 cats. Only 14 (1%) respondents indicated that their pet was unhealthy, but 176 (16%) indicated that their pets had 1 or more diseases. The most common diseases were musculo-skeletal, dental, and gastrointestinal tract or hepatic disease. Many owners (n = 356) reported their pets were overweight or obese, but only 3 reported obesity as a health problem in their pets. Owners of 28 (2.5%) animals reported that they were feeding a therapeutic diet, with the most common being diets for animals with renal disease (n = 5), reduced-calorie diets (5), and reduced-fat diets (4). Owners of 107 of 1,076 (9.9%) animals reported administering dietary supplements to their pets. Multivitamins (n = 53 animals), chondroprotective agents (22), and fatty acids (13) were the most common dietary supplements used. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that most dogs and cats reported by their owners to have a health problem were not being fed a therapeutic diet. In addition, the rate of dietary supplement use was lower than that reported for people.  相似文献   

5.
Characteristics of free-roaming cats and their caretakers   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  
OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics of unowned, free-roaming cats and their caretakers who participated in a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program and to determine the effect of the program on free-roaming cat colonies. DESIGN: Prospective study. SAMPLE POPULATION: 101 caretakers of 920 unowned, free-roaming cats in 132 colonies in north central Florida. RESULTS: Most (85/101; 84%) caretakers were female. The median age was 45 years (range, 19 to 74 years). Most (89/101; 88%) caretakers owned pets and of those, most (67/101; 66%) owned cats. The major reasons for feeding free-roaming cats were sympathy and love of animals. Most caretakers reported that the cats they cared for were too wild to be adopted, but many also reported that they considered the cats to be like pets. The total surveyed cat population was 920 before participation in TNR and 678 after TNR. Mean colony size was 7 cats before TNR and 5.1 cats after TNR. Most cats lived on the caretaker's property. At the time of the survey, 70% (644/920) of the cats had been neutered. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The decrease in the surveyed free-roaming cat population was attributed to a reduction in births of new kittens, adoptions, deaths, and disappearances. Recognition of the human-animal bond that exists between caretakers and the feral cats they feed may facilitate the development of effective control programs for feral cat populations.  相似文献   

6.
The attitudes and behaviours of cat owners in regard to treatment of cats may have a cumulative effect on the food availability, reproduction, density and welfare of the free-roaming cat population and thus also on the extent of cat overpopulation. Understanding this is thus a vital step in the a priori planning of cat management programs on any scale, as well as in developing public education programs on this issue. Although recent years have seen an accumulation of knowledge in regard to cat owners' attitudes and behaviours, the findings vary among countries and locations and in Israel this has never been investigated systematically. Using a questionnaire provided to cat owners in veterinary clinics, this study aimed at identifying those attitudes and behaviours that may be contributing to cat overpopulation in Tel Aviv, Israel, and at exploring the socio-economic factors that influence this problem. The findings show that the influential factors can be predicted from the cat owners' socio-economic status, mainly education and income, as well as gender and age. A consistency in those cat owner behaviours that contribute to cat overpopulation was also uncovered, revealing a sub-population of individuals who persist in the undesirable behaviours. Finally, a strong relationship between attitude and consequent behaviour was demonstrated, indicating the importance of education and targeted publicity as a means to influence attitudes and thereby change behaviours in this respect. We propose several measures by which to reduce the current extent of cat owners' contribution to the cat overpopulation: discouraging unwanted owner behaviours such as abandonment of their cats and allowing them to breed; promoting awareness of the neutering option among cat caretakers; and increasing pre-adoption neutering rates in shelters. Regional and national laws promoting responsible pet ownership need to be enacted. By improving the current level of knowledge and awareness among cat owners regarding cat overpopulation issues, and encouraging a more responsible attitude, cat owners' bond with their cats could be strengthened, as well as their bond with and contribution to their environment.  相似文献   

7.
Public feeding of free-roaming cats subsidizes their population growth, and has consequences in highly interconnected ecosystems including predation of native wildlife and alteration of their behavior and populations. Research is needed to explain, predict, and possibly curb public feeding. We conducted a theoretically informed analysis of key beliefs underlying intentions to feed free-roaming cats in Malaysia, offering new insights as well as management suggestions. Normative beliefs had the strongest associations with behavioral intentions. Management strategies should consider social influences from families and friends of those who feed free-roaming cats, especially cat owners and their significant others. Our results also suggest key behavioral beliefs regarding disadvantages of feeding free-roaming cats could be strengthened through education and other initiatives. The findings are particularly important for Malaysia, which is biodiversity-rich but has a large free-roaming cat population and a high incidence of public feeding.  相似文献   

8.
Survey of predation by domestic cats   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  
Objectives To calculate the proportion of house cats which were observed by their owners to have caught prey and to describe the characteristics of these cats.
Design and procedure A telephone questionnaire was administered to a randomly selected population of 458 cat owners in metropolitan Perth. Specific questions were asked about demographic characteristics, habits and diets of the cats, and whether the owners had observed their cats catch prey in the 12 month period preceding the survey.
Results The owners of 36% of 644 cats had observed their cats with prey in the 12 month period preceding the survey. Cats which spent more time outside, were neutered, cross-bred, originated from households with only one or two cats or were not fed meat were significantly more likely to be observed to predate. The body condition and diet (other than feeding meat) of cats did not influence the reported frequency of predation.
Conclusion Although cats are only one factor involved in the reduction in the numbers and diversity of Australian wildlife, restriction of the outside activities of cats is likely to diminish predation, particularly in areas close to native vegetation.  相似文献   

9.
Registration of a cat with a veterinary practice is likely to be a critical factor for access to key preventative medicine. A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data in the United Kingdom on the registration status of cats and potential explanatory variables. These data were also used to identify potential sources of bias associated with selecting controls from veterinary registered populations of cats due to differences between registered and unregistered cats. Cat owners reported that 13.6% (84/616) of their cats had not been registered with a veterinary practice since living at their current address. Multivariable logistic regression indicated that unregistered cats were significantly more likely than registered cats to be entire, to have not been vaccinated within the previous year, to be living in households in Northern Ireland and in households with an annual income <￡10,000.(1) Whilst the neuter status and the vaccination status of the cat are likely to result from non-registration, the household location and annual income are factors that can be used to inform future interventions designed to increase the proportion of veterinary registered cats.  相似文献   

10.
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11.
OBJECTIVE: To obtain information regarding diagnostic and treatment approaches of veterinarians and attitudes and beliefs of clients about a common clinical problem, urine marking in cats. DESIGN: Cohort study. STUDY POPULATION: 70 veterinarians providing care for urine-marking cats and 500 owners of urine-marking cats. PROCEDURE: Veterinarians were interviewed via telephone regarding criteria for diagnosis of urine marking and recommended treatments. Cat owners who responded to recruitment efforts for a clinical trial for urine-marking cats were interviewed via telephone regarding whether and from what sources they sought help to resolve the marking problem. RESULTS: Almost a third of veterinarians did not seem to correctly distinguish between urine marking (spraying) and inappropriate urination. Those that did make this diagnostic distinction reported recommending environmental management and prescribing medication significantly more often that those that did not make this distinction. Seventy-four percent of cat owners sought help from their veterinarians for urine marking; other common sources of information were the Internet and friends. Among those who did not consult a veterinarian, the most frequently cited reason was that they did not think their veterinarian could help. Among cat owners who consulted their veterinarians, 8% reported receiving advice on environmental hygiene and 4% on environmental management (limiting intercat interactions), although veterinarians who correctly diagnosed urine marking reported giving such advice 100 and 83% of the time, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results may serve as a model for obtaining information critical to developing veterinary continuing education and public outreach programs for animal owners for various diseases.  相似文献   

12.
Ingestion of Lilium or Hemerocallis spp. by cats can result in renal failure. The objectives of this study were to determine the foreknowledge of lily toxicity of owners of cats that were exposed to lilies and to obtain historical, clinical and outcome information on the exposures. A survey was done of cat owners reporting indoor exposures to lilies to the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) during April 2009. Forty eight individuals, (57 cats) were included. Sixty nine percent of cat owners said they could recognize a lily and 27% knew that lilies were toxic prior to their cats' exposures. Most lilies were obtained from grocery or other stores, and were purchased by the owners or as gifts to the cat owners. Owners who were unaware of lily toxicity frequently left the flowers where the cats had access to them, whereas in households where the toxicity was known the cats actively sought out the flowers. Of the cats in this study 93% received prompt veterinary care, and 87% either developed no signs or had brief signs that resolved. Five percent had evidence of renal insufficiency at final follow-up and another 5 percent of cats were euthanized due to renal failure.  相似文献   

13.
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14.
The size of urban cat colonies is limited only by the availability of food and shelter; therefore, their population growth challenges all known population control programs. To test a new population control method, a free-roaming feral cat colony at the Zoological Park in the city of Rio de Janeiro was studied, beginning in 2001. The novel method consisted of performing a hysterectomy on all captured female cats over 6 months of age. To estimate the size of the colony and compare population from year to year, a method of capture-mark-release-recapture was used. The aim was to capture as many individuals as possible, including cats of all ages and gender to estimate numbers of cats in all population categories. Results indicated that the feral cat population remained constant from 2001 to 2004. From 2004 to 2008, the hysterectomy program and population estimates were performed every other year (2006 and 2008). The population was estimated to be 40 cats in 2004, 26 in 2006, and 17 cats in 2008. Although pathogens tend to infect more individuals as the population grows older and maintains natural behavior, these results show that free-roaming feral cat colonies could have their population controlled by a biannual program that focuses on hysterectomy of sexually active female cats.  相似文献   

15.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a long-term trap-neuter-return program, with adoption whenever possible, on the dynamics of a free-roaming cat population. DESIGN: Observational epidemiologic study. ANIMALS: 155 unowned free-roaming cats. PROCEDURES: Free-roaming cats residing on a university campus were trapped, neutered, and returned to the environment or adopted over an 11-year period. RESULTS: During the observation period (January 1991 to April 2002), 75% of the cats were feral, and 25% were socialized. Kittens comprised 56% of the original population. Male cats were slightly more numerous (55%) than females. At the conclusion of the observation period, 47% of the cats had been removed for adoption, 15% remained on site, 15% had disappeared, 11% were euthanatized, 6% had died, and 6% had moved to the surrounding wooded environment. Trapping began in 1991; however, a complete census of cats was not completed until 1996, at which time 68 cats resided on site. At completion of the study in 2002, the population had decreased by 66%, from 68 to 23 cats (of which 22 were feral). No kittens were observed on site after 1995, but additional stray or abandoned cats continued to become resident. New arrivals were neutered or adopted before they could reproduce. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A comprehensive long-term program of neutering followed by adoption or return to the resident colony can result in reduction of free-roaming cat populations in urban areas.  相似文献   

16.
The objective of this study was to survey the owners regarding the frequency and duration of their daily interactions with their indoor cats, the provision of toys and activities by the cat owners, and the prevalence of 6 selected behavior problems (aggression to owner, aggression to visitors, periuria, inappropriate defecation, inter-household cat aggression, and intercat aggression to outdoor cats). The sample population was 277 clients from 5 veterinary practices who presented their domestic cat for anything except a behavior problem. The average number of toys and activities reported by owners per cat was 7, and the most common toys/activities used by owners in this survey were furry mice (64%), catnip toys (62%), and balls with bells (62%). A total of 78% of the owners reported that they leave the cat's toy(s) available all the time. All owners reported playing with their cat, whereas most owners (64%) played with their cat more than 2 times per day and reported play bout durations of 5 (33%) or 10 minutes (25%). Owners who reported play bout time of 5 minutes or more reported fewer behavioral problems than those with play bouts of 1 minute (P < 0.05). A total of 61% of the owners reported that their cat engaged in 1 or more of the 6 selected behavior problem(s), but only 54% of the owners who reported behavior problems in their cats reported that they had talked to their veterinarian about the problem. The 2 most frequently reported behavior problems were aggression to the owners (36%) and periuria (24%). Female cats were 50% less likely to be reported to have 1 or more behavior problems than males despite an equal sex distribution in the survey population (P < 0.05). The relationship between individual behavior problems and individual toys and activities was evaluated by use of a logistic stepwise regression. These findings are discussed as they relate to the understanding of behavioral needs of indoor-housed cats and the potential role of environmental enrichment in the home setting.  相似文献   

17.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence of behavior problems following tendonectomy or onychectomy in cats, as well as attitudes of owners following these procedures. DESIGN: Nonrandomized clinical trial. ANIMALS: 18 cats that underwent tendonectomy and 39 cats that underwent onychectomy. PROCEDURE: Owners of cats that underwent tendonectomy or onychectomy between February 1993 and May 1998 were contacted by telephone and asked several questions regarding reasons for surgery as well as complications and behavioral changes in cats following surgery. RESULTS: The most common reason for considering tendonectomy or onychectomy was to avoid damage caused by the cat scratching household materials. Avoidance of injury to humans or animals was chosen more often by owners whose cats underwent onychectomy than those that underwent tendonectomy. Tendonectomy was more likely to have been recommended by veterinarians than onychectomy. Significantly more cats that underwent tendonectomy (67%) than onychectomy (44%) returned to normal activity within 3 days after surgery. Significant differences were not detected regarding behavior problems after surgery. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although tendonectomy and onychectomy involved some medical complications and behavior changes following surgery, owners had positive attitudes regarding both surgeries after the immediate postoperative period. Tendonectomy may be a humane alternative to onychectomy, although owners need to be advised that nail trimming is still necessary in cats after surgery.  相似文献   

18.
Dogs are often present on livestock farms, where they serve important management and companion roles, yet may be involved in zoonotic pathogen transmission. Numerous factors can potentially alter the risk of exposure to zoonotic pathogens, such as the dog's access to livestock, close dog–human contact and an increasing immunocompromised human population. The objective of this study was to quantify and qualify dog ownership among livestock owners, their dog husbandry and biosecurity practices, the dogs’ access to livestock and potential risks for zoonotic pathogen transmission. A questionnaire was developed and mailed to 2,000 presumed Ohio livestock owners. Data were collected on demographics, dog husbandry practices, attitudes surrounding zoonotic diseases and attachment to and preventive veterinary care for the dogs. There were 446 responders who met the study inclusion criteria as an Ohio livestock farm owner, with 297 (67%) also owning dogs. Approximately 52% of dog‐owning households included at least one individual at higher disease risk (i.e., <5 years, ≥65 years, diagnosed with an immunocompromising condition). Most respondents had little/no concern for disease transmission from livestock to dogs (90%), from dogs to livestock (87%) and from dogs to people (94%). Dogs were allowed access to livestock by 70% of respondents and nearly all (96%; 198) indicated at least one higher risk dog–livestock management practice. In addition, many reported never leashing or fencing their dog (61%) and rarely to never picking up dog faeces (76%). Households with higher risk members reported similar husbandry, biosecurity and concern levels as households without those members (all p > .05). Numerous opportunities for zoonotic pathogen transmission and low level of zoonotic disease concern suggest a need for improved education and outreach for the livestock dog‐owning community, particularly for higher risk households.  相似文献   

19.
A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in a sample of domestic cats in Perth and the knowledge of their owners about the control and potential for zoonotic transmission of these parasites. Faecal samples (418), collected from cats originating from five sources, were examined by microscopy and questionnaires administered to cat owners. Forty randomly selected samples were also screened using PCR in order to detect cysts of Giardia and oocysts of Cryptosporidium that may have been present in a faecal sample at very low levels. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in domestic cats by microscopy was 8.6%. Pet shop kittens had the highest parasite prevalence (34.3%), followed by cats and kittens from breeding establishments (15.8%), refuge cats and kittens (8.3%), privately owned cats (2.3%), and boarding cats and kittens (1.6%). Surprisingly, 80% of the 40 cats tested by PCR were positive for Giardia duodenalis and 10% for Cryptosporidium. None of these cats were positive on microscopy. After adjusting for other factors with multiple logistic regression, kittens less than 6 months of age, and cats living in households with more than one cat or with a dog were significantly more likely to be parasitised. In the logistic regression model, the presence of parasitism was also significantly influenced by the number of anthelmintic doses administered in the 12 month period prior to the study. The majority (64.5%) of cat owners were aware that feline parasites could be transmitted to humans, however less than half (42.8%) were aware of the modes of transmission to humans.  相似文献   

20.
A representative sample of the pet cat population of the United Kingdom was surveyed. Blood samples from 1204 sick and 1007 healthy cats of known breed, age and sex were tested for antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). The prevalence of FIV was 19 per cent in sick cats and 6 per cent in healthy cats, and the prevalence of FeLV was 18 per cent in sick cats and 5 per cent in healthy cats; both infections were more common in domestic cats than in pedigree cats. Feline immunodeficiency virus was more prevalent in older cats but FeLV was more prevalent in younger cats. There was no difference between the prevalence of FeLV in male and female cats but male cats were more likely to be infected with FIV than female cats. No interaction was demonstrated between FIV and FeLV infections. Of the cats which were in contact with FIV in households with more than one cat, 21 per cent had seroconverted. The prevalence of FeLV viraemia in cats in contact with FeLV was 14 per cent. The clinical signs associated with FIV were pyrexia, gingivitis/stomatitis and respiratory signs, and with FeLV, pyrexia and anaemia. It was concluded that both viruses were significant causes of disease, and that the cats most likely to be infected with FIV were older, free-roaming male cats and for FeLV, younger, free-roaming cats.  相似文献   

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