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Lavery, Tyrone H., Masaafi Alabai, Piokera Holland, Cornelius Qaqara, and Nelson Vatohi. "Feral cat abundance, density and activity in tropical island rainforests." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 660. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19205.
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Abstract ContextIntroduced predators, especially cats, are a major cause of extinction globally. Accordingly, an extensive body of literature has focussed on the ecology and management of feral cats in continental and island systems alike. However, geographic and climatic gaps remain, with few studies focusing on rainforests or tropical islands of the south-western Pacific. AimsWe aimed to estimate cat densities and elucidate activity patterns of cats and sympatric birds and mammals in tropical island rainforests. We hypothesised that cat activity would be most influenced by the activity of introduced rodents and ground-dwelling birds that are predominant prey on islands. MethodsWe used camera traps to detect feral cats, pigs, rodents and birds on four tropical islands in the south-western Pacific. We used spatial capture–recapture models to estimate the abundance and density of feral cats. Relative abundance indices, and temporal overlaps in activity were calculated for feral cats, pigs, rodents, and birds. We used a generalised linear model to test for the influence of pig, rodent, and bird abundance on feral cat abundance. Key resultsThe species most commonly detected by our camera traps was feral cat, with estimated densities between 0.31 and 2.65 individuals km−2. Pigs and introduced rodents were the second- and third-most commonly detected fauna respectively. Cat activity was bimodal, with peaks in the hours before dawn and after dusk. Cat abundance varied with site and the abundance of rodents. ConclusionsFeral cats are abundant in the tropical rainforests of our study islands, where one bird and two mammal species are now presumed extinct. Introduced rodents possibly amplify the abundance and impacts of feral cats at our sites. Peak cat activity following dusk did not clearly overlap with other species detected by our camera traps. We postulate cats may be partly focussed on hunting frogs during this period. ImplicationsCats are likely to be a major threat to the highly endemic fauna of our study region. Management of feral cats will benefit from further consideration of introduced prey such as rodents, and their role in hyperpredation. Island archipelagos offer suitable opportunities to experimentally test predator–prey dynamics involving feral cats.
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Davies, Hugh F., Stefan W. Maier, and Brett P. Murphy. "Feral cats are more abundant under severe disturbance regimes in an Australian tropical savanna." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 624. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19198.
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Abstract ContextThere is an increasing awareness that feral cats play a key role in driving the ongoing decline of small mammals across northern Australia; yet, the factors that control the distribution, abundance and behaviour of feral cats are poorly understood. These key knowledge gaps make it near-impossible for managers to mitigate the impacts of cats on small mammals. AimsWe investigated the environmental correlates of feral cat activity and abundance across the savanna woodlands of Melville Island, the larger of the two main Tiwi Islands, northern Australia. MethodsWe conducted camera-trap surveys at 88 sites, and related cat activity and abundance to a range of biophysical variables, either measured in the field or derived from remotely sensed data. Key resultsWe found that feral cat activity and abundance tended to be highest in areas characterised by severe disturbance regimes, namely high frequencies of severe fires and high feral herbivore activity. ConclusionsOur results have contributed to the growing body of research demonstrating that in northern Australian savanna landscapes, disturbance regimes characterised by frequent high-severity fires and grazing by feral herbivores may benefit feral cats. This is most likely to be a result of high-severity fire and grazing removing understorey biomass, which increases the time that the habitat remains in an open state in which cats can hunt more efficiently. This is due to both the frequent and extensive removal, and longer-term thinning of ground layer vegetation by severe fires, as well as the suppressed post-fire recovery of ground layer vegetation due to grazing by feral herbivores. ImplicationsManagement that reduces the frequency of severe fires and the density of feral herbivores could disadvantage feral cat populations on Melville Island. A firm understanding of how threatening processes interact, and how they vary across landscapes with different environmental conditions, is critical for ensuring management success.
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Lohr, Cheryl A., Kristen Nilsson, Ashleigh Johnson, Neil Hamilton, Mike Onus, and Dave Algar. "Two Methods of Monitoring Cats at a Landscape-Scale." Animals 11, no. 12 (December 15, 2021): 3562. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani11123562.
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Feral cats are difficult to manage and harder to monitor. We analysed the cost and the efficacy of monitoring the pre- and post-bait abundance of feral cats via camera-traps or track counts using four years of data from the Matuwa Indigenous Protected Area. Additionally, we report on the recovery of the feral cat population and the efficacy of subsequent Eradicat® aerial baiting programs following 12 months of intensive feral cat control in 2019. Significantly fewer cats were captured in 2020 (n = 8) compared to 2019 (n = 126). Pre-baiting surveys for 2020 and 2021 suggested that the population of feral cats on Matuwa was very low, at 5.5 and 4.4 cats/100 km, respectively, which is well below our target threshold of 10 cats/100 km. Post-baiting surveys then recorded 3.6 and 3.0 cats/100 km, respectively, which still equates to a 35% and 32% reduction in cat activity. Track counts recorded significantly more feral cats than camera traps and were cheaper to implement. We recommend that at least two methods of monitoring cats be implemented to prevent erroneous conclusions.
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Wang, Yiwei, and Diana O. Fisher. "Dingoes affect activity of feral cats, but do not exclude them from the habitat of an endangered macropod." Wildlife Research 39, no. 7 (2012): 611. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr11210.
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Context The loss of large predators has been linked with the rise of smaller predators globally, with negative impacts on prey species (mesopredator release). Recent studies suggest that the dingo, Australia’s top terrestrial predator, inhibits predation on native mammals by the invasive red fox, and therefore reduces mammal extinctions. Feral cats also have negative effects on native mammals, but evidence that dingoes suppress cats remains equivocal. Aims We sought to examine whether dingoes might spatially or temporally suppress the activity of feral cats at a site containing the sole wild population of an endangered macropod subject to feral cat predation (the bridled nailtail wallaby). Methods We used camera traps to compare coarse and fine-scale spatial associations and overlaps in activity times of mammals between August 2009 and August 2010. Key results Dingoes and cats used the same areas, but there was evidence of higher segregation of activity times during wet months. Potential prey showed no spatial avoidance of dingoes. Peak activity times of dingoes and their major prey (the black-striped wallaby) were segregated during the wetter time of year (December to March). We did not find evidence that cats were spatially excluded from areas of high prey activity by dingoes, but there was low overlap in activity times between cats and bridled nailtail wallabies. Conclusions These findings support the contention that fear of dingoes can sometimes affect the timing of activity of feral cats. However, cats showed little spatial avoidance of dingoes at a coarse scale. Implications Control of dingoes should not be abandoned at the site, because the potential moderate benefits of reduced cat activity for this endangered and geographically restricted wallaby may not outweigh the detrimental effects of dingo predation.
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Lazenby, Billie T., Nicholas J. Mooney, and Christopher R. Dickman. "Effects of low-level culling of feral cats in open populations: a case study from the forests of southern Tasmania." Wildlife Research 41, no. 5 (2014): 407. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr14030.
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Context Feral cats (Felis catus) threaten biodiversity in many parts of the world, including Australia. Low-level culling is often used to reduce their impact, but in open cat populations the effectiveness of culling is uncertain. This is partly because options for assessing this management action have been restricted to estimating cat activity rather than abundance. Aims We measured the response, including relative abundance, of feral cats to a 13-month pulse of low-level culling in two open sites in southern Tasmania. Methods To do this we used remote cameras and our analysis included identification of individual feral cats. We compared estimates of relative abundance obtained via capture–mark–recapture and minimum numbers known to be alive, and estimates of activity obtained using probability of detection and general index methods, pre- and post-culling. We also compared trends in cat activity and abundance over the same time period at two further sites where culling was not conducted. Key results Contrary to expectation, the relative abundance and activity of feral cats increased in the cull-sites, even though the numbers of cats captured per unit effort during the culling period declined. Increases in minimum numbers of cats known to be alive ranged from 75% to 211% during the culling period, compared with pre- and post-cull estimates, and probably occurred due to influxes of new individuals after dominant resident cats were removed. Conclusions Our results showed that low-level ad hoc culling of feral cats can have unwanted and unexpected outcomes, and confirmed the importance of monitoring if such management actions are implemented. Implications If culling is used to reduce cat impacts in open populations, it should be as part of a multi-faceted approach and may need to be strategic, systematic and ongoing if it is to be effective.
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Read, J. L., A. J. Bengsen, P. D. Meek, and K. E. Moseby. "How to snap your cat: optimum lures and their placement for attracting mammalian predators in arid Australia." Wildlife Research 42, no. 1 (2015): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr14193.
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Context Automatically activated cameras (camera traps) and automated poison-delivery devices are increasingly being used to monitor and manage predators such as felids and canids. Maximising visitation rates to sentry positions enhances the efficacy of feral-predator management, especially for feral cats, which are typically less attracted to food-based lures than canids. Aims The influence of camera-trap placement and lures were investigated to determine optimal monitoring and control strategies for feral cats and other predators in two regions of semi-arid South Australia. Methods We compared autumn and winter capture rates, activity patterns and behaviours of cats, foxes and dingoes at different landscape elements and with different lures in three independent 6 km × 3 km grids of 18 camera-trap sites. Key results Neither visual, olfactory or audio lures increased recorded visitation rates by any predators, although an audio and a scent-based lure both elicited behavioural responses in predators. Cameras set on roads yielded an eight times greater capture rate for dingoes than did off-road cameras. Roads and resource points also yielded highest captures of cats and foxes. All predators were less nocturnal in winter than in autumn and fox detections at the Immarna site peaked in months when dingo and cat activity were lowest. Conclusions Monitoring and management programs for cats and other predators in arid Australia should focus on roads and resource points where predator activity is highest. Olfactory and auditory lures can elicit behavioural responses that render cats more susceptible to passive monitoring and control techniques. Dingo activity appeared to be inversely related to fox but not cat activity during our monitoring period. Implications Optimised management of feral cats in the Australian arid zone would benefit from site- and season-specific lure trials.
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Moseby, K. E., H. McGregor, and J. L. Read. "Effectiveness of the Felixer grooming trap for the control of feral cats: a field trial in arid South Australia." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 599. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19132.
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Abstract ContextFeral cats pose a significant threat to wildlife in Australia and internationally. Controlling feral cats can be problematic because of their tendency to hunt live prey rather than be attracted to food-based lures. The Felixer grooming trap was developed as a targeted and automated poisoning device that sprays poison onto the fur of a passing cat, relying on compulsive grooming for ingestion. AimsWe conducted a field trial to test the effectiveness of Felixers in the control of feral cats in northern South Australia where feral cats were present within a 2600-ha predator-proof fenced paddock. MethodsTwenty Felixers were set to fire across vehicle tracks and dune crossings for 6 weeks. Cat activity was recorded using track counts and grids of remote camera traps set within the Felixer Paddock and an adjacent 3700-ha Control Paddock where feral cats were not controlled. Radio-collars were placed on six cats and spatial mark–resight models were used to estimate population density before and after Felixer deployment. Key resultsNone of the 1024 non-target objects (bettongs, bilbies, birds, lizards, humans, vehicles) that passed a Felixer during the trial was fired on, confirming high target specificity. Thirty-three Felixer firings were recorded over the 6-week trial, all being triggered by feral cats. The only two radio-collared cats that triggered Felixers during the trial, died. Two other radio-collared cats appeared to avoid Felixer traps possibly as a reaction to previous catching and handling rendering them neophobic. None of the 22 individually distinguishable cats targeted by Felixers was subsequently observed on cameras, suggesting death after firing. Felixer data, activity and density estimates consistently indicated that nearly two-thirds of the cat population was killed by the Felixers during the 6-week trial. ConclusionsResults suggest that Felixers are an effective, target-specific method of controlling feral cats, at least in areas in which immigration is prevented. The firing rate of Felixers did not decline significantly over time, suggesting that a longer trial would have resulted in a higher number of kills. ImplicationsFuture studies should aim to determine the trade-off between Felixer density and the efficacy relative to reinvasion.
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Palmer, Russell, Hannah Anderson, Brooke Richards, Michael D. Craig, and Lesley Gibson. "Does aerial baiting for controlling feral cats in a heterogeneous landscape confer benefits to a threatened native meso-predator?" PLOS ONE 16, no. 5 (May 7, 2021): e0251304. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251304.
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Introduced mammalian predators can have devastating impacts on recipient ecosystems and disrupt native predator–prey relationships. Feral cats (Felis catus) have been implicated in the decline and extinction of many Australian native species and developing effective and affordable methods to control them is a national priority. While there has been considerable progress in the lethal control of feral cats, effective management at landscape scales has proved challenging. Justification of the allocation of resources to feral cat control programs requires demonstration of the conservation benefit baiting provides to native species susceptible to cat predation. Here, we examined the effectiveness of a landscape-scale Eradicat® baiting program to protect threatened northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus) from feral cat predation in a heterogeneous rocky landscape in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. We used camera traps and GPS collars fitted to feral cats to monitor changes in activity patterns of feral cats and northern quolls at a baited treatment site and unbaited reference site over four years. Feral cat populations appeared to be naturally sparse in our study area, and camera trap monitoring showed no significant effect of baiting on cat detections. However, mortality rates of collared feral cats ranged from 18–33% after baiting, indicating that the program was reducing cat numbers. Our study demonstrated that feral cat baiting had a positive effect on northern quoll populations, with evidence of range expansion at the treatment site. We suggest that the rugged rocky habitat preferred by northern quolls in the Pilbara buffered them to some extent from feral cat predation, and baiting was sufficient to demonstrate a positive effect in this relatively short-term project. A more strategic approach to feral cat management is likely to be required in the longer-term to maximise the efficacy of control programs and thereby improve the conservation outlook for susceptible threatened fauna.
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Brawata, Renee L., and Teresa Neeman. "Is water the key? Dingo management, intraguild interactions and predator distribution around water points in arid Australia." Wildlife Research 38, no. 5 (2011): 426. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr10169.
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Context Predators are major beneficiaries of artificial water points in arid environments, yet little is known of the effects of water on the distribution of many sympatric species. Intraguild interactions around water points in arid Australia may play a significant role in structuring mammalian predator assemblages and influence spatial predation on some native prey species. Aims We examined how management of an apex predator, the dingo (Canis lupus dingo), influenced the distribution of two introduced mesopredators, foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cats (Felis catus), around water points in arid Australia. Methods The spatial activity of dingoes, foxes and feral cats was assessed at five study sites with varying dingo management regimes. Sampling of predator activity was monitored using track counts at measured proximity to water points. Key results At sites where dingoes were uncontrolled, foxes were less likely to be found within 5 km of water points; conversely, where dingoes were controlled using exclusion fencing, fox activity was highest near water. Where dingo activity was reduced using 1080 baiting, feral cats were found closer to water. Conclusions These patterns suggest that the presence of dingoes instigates avoidance behaviour by foxes and feral cats, and through doing so may limit the use of artificial waters by these mesopredators. Through limiting access to such an essential resource in arid environments, dingoes may reduce mesopredator populations and minimise their impact on native prey. Implications For the conservation of native biodiversity, it may prove beneficial to maintain intact dingo populations due to their suppressive effect on mesopredators.
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Moseby, K. E., and B. M. Hill. "The use of poison baits to control feral cats and red foxes in arid South Australia I. Aerial baiting trials." Wildlife Research 38, no. 4 (2011): 338. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr10235.
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Context Feral cats and foxes pose a significant threat to native wildlife in the Australian arid zone and their broadscale control is required for the protection of threatened species. Aims The aim of this research was to trial aerial poison baiting as a means of controlling feral cats and foxes in northern South Australia. Methods Eradicat baits or dried meat baits containing 1080 poison were distributed by air over areas of 650 to 1800 km2 in trials from 2002 to 2006. Different baiting density, frequency, bait type and area were trialled to determine the optimum baiting strategy. Baiting success was determined through mortality of radio-collared animals and differences in the track activity of cats and foxes in baited and unbaited areas. Key results Quarterly aerial baiting at a density of 10 baits per square km successfully controlled foxes over a 12-month period, while annual baiting led to reinvasion within four months. Despite the majority of radio-collared cats dying after baiting, a significant decline in cat activity was only recorded during one of the eight baiting events. This event coincided with extremely dry conditions and low rabbit abundance. Rabbit activity increased significantly in baited areas over the study period in comparison with control areas. Conclusions Despite trialling different baiting density, frequency and area over a five-year period, a successful long-term baiting strategy for feral cats could not be developed using Eradicat baits or dried meat baits. Implications Broadscale control of feral cats in the arid zone remains a significant challenge and may require a combination of control methods with flexible delivery times dependent on local conditions. However, it is doubtful that current methods, even used in combination, will enable cat numbers to be reduced to levels where successful reintroductions of many threatened wildlife species can occur.
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Moseby, K. E., J. Stott, and H. Crisp. "Movement patterns of feral predators in an arid environment – implications for control through poison baiting." Wildlife Research 36, no. 5 (2009): 422. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr08098.
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Control of introduced predators is critical to both protection and successful reintroduction of threatened prey species. Efficiency of control is improved if it takes into account habitat use, home range and the activity patterns of the predator. These characteristics were studied in feral cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in arid South Australia, and results are used to suggest improvements in control methods. In addition, mortality and movement patterns of cats before and after a poison-baiting event were compared. Thirteen cats and four foxes were successfully fitted with GPS data-logger radio-collars and tracked 4-hourly for several months. High intra-specific variation in cat home-range size was recorded, with 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) home ranges varying from 0.5 km2 to 132 km2. Cat home-range size was not significantly different from that of foxes, nor was there a significant difference related to sex or age. Cats preferred habitat types that support thicker vegetation cover, including creeklines and sand dunes, whereas foxes preferred sand dunes. Cats used temporary focal points (areas used intensively over short time periods and then vacated) for periods of up to 2 weeks and continually moved throughout their home range. Aerial baiting at a density of 10 baits per km2 was ineffective for cats because similar high mortality rates were recorded for cats in both baited and unbaited areas. Mortality was highest in young male cats. Long-range movements of up to 45 km in 2 days were recorded in male feral cats and movement into the baited zone occurred within 2 days of baiting. Movement patterns of radio-collared animals and inferred bait detection distances were used to suggest optimum baiting densities of ~30 baits per km2 for feral cats and 5 per km2 for foxes. Feral cats exhibited much higher intra-specific variation in activity patterns and home-range size than did foxes, rendering them a potentially difficult species to control by a single method. Control of cats and foxes in arid Australia should target habitats with thick vegetation cover and aerial baiting should ideally occur over areas of several thousand square kilometres because of large home ranges and long-range movements increasing the chance of fast reinvasion. The use of temporary focal points suggested that it may take several days or even weeks for a cat to encounter a fixed trap site within their home range, whereas foxes should encounter them more quickly as they move further each day although they have a similar home-range size. Because of high intra-specific variability in activity patterns and home-range size, control of feral cats in inland Australia may be best achieved through a combination of control techniques.
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McGregor, Hugh, John Read, Christopher N. Johnson, Sarah Legge, Brydie Hill, and Katherine Moseby. "Edge effects created by fenced conservation reserves benefit an invasive mesopredator." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 677. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19181.
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Abstract ContextFenced reserves from which invasive predators are removed are increasingly used as a conservation management tool, because they provide safe havens for susceptible threatened species, and create dense populations of native wildlife that could act as a source population for recolonising the surrounding landscape. However, the latter effect might also act as a food source, and promote high densities of invasive predators on the edges of such reserves. AimsOur study aimed to determine whether activity of the feral cat is greater around the edges of a fenced conservation reserve, Arid Recovery, in northern South Australia. This reserve has abundant native rodents that move through the fence into the surrounding landscape. MethodsWe investigated (1) whether feral cats were increasingly likely to be detected on track transects closer to the fence over time as populations of native rodents increased inside the reserve, (2) whether native rodents were more likely to be found in the stomachs of cats caught close to the reserve edge, and (3) whether individual cats selectively hunted on the reserve fence compared with two other similar fences, on the basis of GPS movement data. Key resultsWe found that (1) detection rates of feral cats on the edges of a fenced reserve increased through time as populations of native rodents increased inside the reserve, (2) native rodents were far more likely to be found in the stomach of cats collected at the reserve edge than in the stomachs of cats far from the reserve edge, and (3) GPS tracking of cat movements showed a selection for the reserve fence edge, but not for similar fences away from the reserve. ConclusionsInvasive predators such as feral cats are able to focus their movements and activity to where prey availability is greatest, including the edges of fenced conservation reserves. This limits the capacity of reserves to function as source areas from which animals can recolonise the surrounding landscape, and increases predation pressure on populations of other species living on the reserve edge. ImplicationsManagers of fenced conservation reserves should be aware that increased predator control may be critical for offsetting the elevated impacts of feral cats attracted to the reserve fence.
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Scaffidi, Adrian, Dave Algar, Björn Bohman, Emilio L. Ghisalberti, and Gavin Flematti. "Identification of the Cat Attractants Isodihydronepetalactone and Isoiridomyrmecin from Acalypha indica." Australian Journal of Chemistry 69, no. 2 (2016): 169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ch15476.
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Acalypha indica is a herb that grows throughout the tropical regions of the world. As well as being exploited for medicinal use, the roots of this plant are known to elicit a drug-like effect in cats. Recent research into feral cat control on Christmas Island has investigated whether a preparation of the roots of A. indica might be effective in traps to attract feral cats. However, the volatile nature of the attractants made it unviable for use in traps for more than a few days. In this study, we investigated the volatile components emitted by the plant roots and identified two iridoid compounds, (4R,4aR,7S,7aR)-isodihydronepetalactone and (4R,4aS,7S,7aR)-isoiridomyrmecin, which are known to affect behavioural activity in cats. Synthesis of standards confirmed the stereochemistry of both compounds emitted by the plant. Potential application of these compounds in feral cat control is discussed.
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Doherty, Tim S., Andrew J. Bengsen, and Robert A. Davis. "A critical review of habitat use by feral cats and key directions for future research and management." Wildlife Research 41, no. 5 (2014): 435. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr14159.
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Feral cats (Felis catus) have a wide global distribution and cause significant damage to native fauna. Reducing their impacts requires an understanding of how they use habitat and which parts of the landscape should be the focus of management. We reviewed 27 experimental and observational studies conducted around the world over the last 35 years that aimed to examine habitat use by feral and unowned cats. Our aims were to: (1) summarise the current body of literature on habitat use by feral and unowned cats in the context of applicable ecological theory (i.e. habitat selection, foraging theory); (2) develop testable hypotheses to help fill important knowledge gaps in the current body of knowledge on this topic; and (3) build a conceptual framework that will guide the activities of researchers and managers in reducing feral cat impacts. We found that feral cats exploit a diverse range of habitats including arid deserts, shrublands and grasslands, fragmented agricultural landscapes, urban areas, glacial valleys, equatorial to sub-Antarctic islands and a range of forest and woodland types. Factors invoked to explain habitat use by cats included prey availability, predation/competition, shelter availability and human resource subsidies, but the strength of evidence used to support these assertions was low, with most studies being observational or correlative. We therefore provide a list of key directions that will assist conservation managers and researchers in better understanding and ameliorating the impact of feral cats at a scale appropriate for useful management and research. Future studies will benefit from employing an experimental approach and collecting data on the relative abundance and activity of prey and other predators. This might include landscape-scale experiments where the densities of predators, prey or competitors are manipulated and then the response in cat habitat use is measured. Effective management of feral cat populations could target high-use areas, such as linear features and structurally complex habitat. Since our review shows often-divergent outcomes in the use of the same habitat components and vegetation types worldwide, local knowledge and active monitoring of management actions is essential when deciding on control programs.
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Wysong, Michael L., Gwenllian D. Iacona, Leonie E. Valentine, Keith Morris, and Euan G. Ritchie. "On the right track: placement of camera traps on roads improves detection of predators and shows non-target impacts of feral cat baiting." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 557. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19175.
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Abstract ContextTo understand the ecological consequences of predator management, reliable and accurate methods are needed to survey and detect predators and the species with which they interact. Recently, poison baits have been developed specifically for lethal and broad-scale control of feral cats in Australia. However, the potential non-target effects of these baits on other predators, including native apex predators (dingoes), and, in turn, cascading effects on lower trophic levels (large herbivores), are poorly understood. AimsWe examined the effect that variation in camera trapping-survey design has on detecting dingoes, feral cats and macropodids, and how different habitat types affect species occurrences. We then examined how a feral cat poison baiting event influences the occupancy of these sympatric species. MethodsWe deployed 80 remotely triggered camera traps over the 2410-km2 Matuwa Indigenous Protected Area, in the semiarid rangelands of Western Australia, and used single-season site-occupancy models to calculate detection probabilities and occupancy for our target species before and after baiting. Key resultsCameras placed on roads were ~60 times more likely to detect dingoes and feral cats than were off-road cameras, whereas audio lures designed to attract feral cats had only a slight positive effect on detection for all target species. Habitat was a significant factor affecting the occupancy of dingoes and macropodids, but not feral cats, with both species being positively associated with open woodlands. Poison baiting to control feral cats did not significantly reduce their occupancy but did so for dingoes, whereas macropodid occupancy increased following baiting and reduced dingo occupancy. ConclusionsCamera traps on roads greatly increase the detection probabilities for predators, whereas audio lures appear to add little or no value to increasing detection for any of the species we targeted. Poison baiting of an invasive mesopredator appeared to negatively affect a non-target, native apex predator, and, in turn, may have resulted in increased activity of large herbivores. ImplicationsManagement and monitoring of predators must pay careful attention to survey design, and lethal control of invasive mesopredators should be approached cautiously so as to avoid potential unintended negative ecological consequences (apex-predator suppression and herbivore release).
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Clapperton, BK, CT Eason, RJ Weston, AD Woolhouse, and DR Morgan. "Development and Testing of Attractants for Feral Cats, Felis Catus L." Wildlife Research 21, no. 4 (1994): 389. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9940389.
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As part of a programme to improve feral-cat control and eradication techniques, various odours were tested as candidate lures. They included food odours (fish oils), social odours (urine and its components, anal-sac secretions and commercial wild-animal lures) and plant materials (catnip, matatabi and their essential oils). Pen bioassay experiments used a preference procedure on captive feral and domestic cats to compare the time spent investigating the odours and the number of cats visiting each odour. Field trials at rubbish dumps used scent stations to assess cat activity. Catnip and matatabi were the most promising candidate lures in both the pen bioassay and the field trials. Future directions for lure developments are suggested.
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KENNEDY, MALCOLM, BEN L. PHILLIPS, SARAH LEGGE, STEPHEN A. MURPHY, and RICHARD A. FAULKNER. "Do dingoes suppress the activity of feral cats in northern Australia?" Austral Ecology 37, no. 1 (April 27, 2011): 134–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2011.02256.x.
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Miritis, Vivianna, Anthony R. Rendall, Tim S. Doherty, Amy L. Coetsee, and Euan G. Ritchie. "Living with the enemy: a threatened prey species coexisting with feral cats on a fox-free island." Wildlife Research 47, no. 8 (2020): 633. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19202.
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Abstract ContextFeral domestic cats (Felis catus) have contributed to substantial loss of Australian wildlife, particularly small- and medium-sized terrestrial mammals. However, mitigating cat impacts remains challenging. Understanding the factors that facilitate coexistence between native prey and their alien predators could aid better pest management and conservation actions. AimsWe estimated feral cat density, examined the impact of habitat cover on long-nosed potoroos (Potorous tridactylus tridactylus), and assessed the spatial and temporal interactions between cats and potoroos in the ‘Bluegums’ area of French Island, south-eastern Australia. Materials and methodsWe operated 31 camera stations across Bluegums for 99 consecutive nights in each of winter 2018 and summer 2018/19. We used a spatially explicit capture–recapture model to estimate cat density, and two-species single-season occupancy models to assess spatial co-occurrence of cats and potoroos. We assessed the influence of vegetation cover and cat activity on potoroo activity by using a dynamic occupancy model. We also used image timestamps to describe and compare the temporal activities of the two species. Key resultsBluegums had a density of 0.77 cats per km2 across both seasons, although this is a conservative estimate because of the presence of unidentified cats. Cats and long-nosed potoroos were detected at 94% and 77% of camera stations, respectively. Long-nosed potoroo detectability was higher in denser vegetation and this pattern was stronger at sites with high cat activity. Cats and potoroos overlapped in their temporal activity, but their peak activity times differed. Conclusions Feral cat density at Bluegums, French Island, is higher than has been reported for mainland Australian sites, but generally lower than in other islands. Long-nosed potoroos were positively associated with cats, potentially indicating cats tracking potoroos as prey or other prey species that co-occur with potoroos. Temporal activity of each species differed, and potoroos sought more complex habitat, highlighting possible mechanisms potoroos may use to reduce their predation risk when co-occurring with cats. ImplicationsOur study highlighted how predator and prey spatial and temporal interactions, and habitat cover and complexity (ecological refuges), may influence the ability for native prey to coexist with invasive predators. We encourage more consideration and investigation of these factors, with the aim of facilitating more native species to persist with invasive predators or be reintroduced outside of predator-free sanctuaries, exclosures and island safe havens.
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Bogdan, Vlastimil, Tomáš Jůnek, and Pavla Jůnková Vymyslická. "Temporal overlaps of feral cats with prey and competitors in primary and human-altered habitats on Bohol Island, Philippines." PeerJ 4 (August 18, 2016): e2288. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2288.
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The vertebrate fauna of the Philippines, known for its diversity and high proportion of endemic species, comprises mainly small- to medium-sized forms with a few large exceptions. As with other tropical ecosystems, the major threats to wildlife are habitat loss, hunting and invasive species, of which the feral cat (Felis catus) is considered the most damaging. Our camera-trapping study focused on a terrestrial vertebrate species inventory on Bohol Island and tempo-spatial co-occurrences of feral cats with their prey and competitors. The survey took place in the Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape, and we examined the primary rainforest, its border with agricultural land, and rural areas in the vicinity of villages. Altogether, over 2,885 trap days we captured 30 species of vertebrates–10 mammals (includingSus philippensis), 19 birds and one reptile,Varanus cumingi. We trapped 81.8% of expected vertebrates. Based on the number of events, the most frequent native species was the barred rail (Gallirallus torquatus). The highest overlap in diel activity between cats and potential prey was recorded with rodents in rural areas (Δ = 0.62); the lowest was in the same habitat with ground-dwelling birds (Δ = 0.40). Cat activity was not recorded inside the rainforest; in other habitats their diel activity pattern differed. The cats’ activity declined in daylight in the proximity of humans, while it peaked at the transition zone between rainforest and fields. Both rodents and ground-dwelling birds exhibited a shift in activity levels between sites where cats were present or absent. Rodents tend to become active by day in cat-free habitats. No cats’ temporal response to co-occurrences of civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditusandViverra tangalunga) was found but cats in diel activity avoided domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Our first insight into the ecology of this invasive predator in the Philippines revealed an avoidance of homogeneous primary rainforest and a tendency to forage close to human settlements in heterogeneous habitats. A detailed further investigation of the composition of the cat’s diet, as well as ranging pattern, is still needed.
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Langham, NPE. "Feral Cats (Felis Catus L.) On New Zealand Farmland. Ii. Seasonal Activity." Wildlife Research 19, no. 6 (1992): 707. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9920707.
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The activity patterns of a resident population of 15 feral cats (Felis catus L.) on New Zealand farmland were investigated from March 1984 until February 1987 by radiotelemetry. Females could be divided into two separate groups: (1) those denning in barns and (2) those denning in the swamp and willows. Females denning in barns were mainly nocturnal except in spring and summer when rearing kittens. Barn cats moved significantly further between dusk and dawn, except in autumn-winter, than those denning in swamp and willows which were active over 24 h. When not breeding, related females occupied the same barn. In both groups, the home range of female relatives overlapped. Males ranged over all habitats, and dominant adult males moved significantly further and had larger home ranges than other males in all seasons, except in summer when they rested, avoiding hot summer days. Only adult males were active during the day in spring and autumn-winter. The importance of a Zeitgeber in synchronising cat activity with that of the prey is examined. The significance of female den site is discussed in relation to proximity of food, predators, social behaviour and male defence.
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Konecny, Michael J. "Home Range and Activity Patterns of Feral House Cats in the Galápagos Islands." Oikos 50, no. 1 (September 1987): 17. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3565397.
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Read, John, and Zoë Bowen. "Population dynamics, diet and aspects of the biology of feral cats and foxes in arid South Australia." Wildlife Research 28, no. 2 (2001): 195. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr99065.
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Average cat and fox densities at Roxby Downs, in northern South Australia, of 0.8 and 0.6 km–2 respectively, determined through spotlight counts over a 10-year period, probably considerably underestimate true densities. Peak rabbit populations coincided with high fox numbers, which probably suppressed cat densities. Cat abundance peaked when fox numbers were low but rabbit numbers were relatively high. When abundant, rabbits were the principal prey of both cats and foxes. Declines in rabbits numbers coincided with dramatic declines in fox numbers. By contrast, declines in cat populations were less marked, presumably because they could more effectively switch to hunting a wide range of native vertebrates. Sand-dwelling lizards, house mice and common small passerines were the most abundant non-rabbit, vertebrate prey taken by cats. We estimate that annual cat predation accounted for approximately 700 reptiles, 150 birds and 50 native mammals per square kilometre, whereas foxes consumed on average 290 reptiles per square kilometre and few native mammals and birds in the Roxby Downs region each year. Male cats and foxes were heavier than females. Feral cats typically weighed less than 4.0 kg, and cats weighing less than 2.5 kg typically preyed on more native vertebrates than did larger cats. Male and female cats were both typically tabby coloured, but a higher proportion of males were ginger in colour. Peak cat breeding coincided with rabbit and bird breeding and increased reptile activity during spring.
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Hilmer, Stefanie, Dave Algar, Martin Plath, and Elke Schleucher. "Relationship between daily body temperature and activity patterns of free-ranging feral cats in Australia." Journal of Thermal Biology 35, no. 6 (August 2010): 270–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2010.06.002.
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Henning, J., P. R. Davies, and J. Meers. "Seropositivity to rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus in non-target mammals during periods of viral activity in a population of wild rabbits in New Zealand." Wildlife Research 33, no. 4 (2006): 305. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr03061.
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As part of a longitudinal study of the epidemiology of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) in New Zealand, serum samples were obtained from trapped feral animals that may have consumed European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) carcasses (non-target species). During a 21-month period when RHDV infection was monitored in a defined wild rabbit population, 16 feral house cats (Felis catus), 11 stoats (Mustela erminea), four ferrets (Mustela furo) and 126 hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) were incidentally captured in the rabbit traps. The proportions of samples that were seropositive to RHDV were 38% for cats, 18% for stoats, 25% for ferrets and 4% for hedgehogs. Seropositive non-target species were trapped in April 2000, in the absence of an overt epidemic of rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) in the rabbit population, but evidence of recent infection in rabbits was shown. Seropositive non-target species were found up to 2.5 months before and 1 month after this RHDV activity in wild rabbits was detected. Seropositive predators were also trapped on the site between 1 and 4.5 months after a dramatic RHD epidemic in February 2001. This study has shown that high antibody titres can be found in non-target species when there is no overt evidence of RHDV infection in the rabbit population, although a temporal relationship could not be assessed statistically owning to the small sample sizes. Predators and scavengers might be able to contribute to localised spread of RHDV through their movements.
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Borchard, Philip, and Ian A. Wright. "Using camera-trap data to model habitat use by bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) and cattle (Bos taurus) in a south-eastern Australian agricultural riparian ecosystem." Australian Mammalogy 32, no. 1 (2010): 16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am09010.
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Bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) are an often important south-east Australian agricultural riparian species that may improve riparian landscape heterogeneity via their burrowing activity. At the same time they are often accused of causing soil erosion. As populations of wombats in other landscapes are under threat due to habitat disturbance, road mortality and disease, knowledge of the factors determining their use of riparian systems are important for their conservation and management. Since the European colonisation of Australia, riparian areas have been utilised by domestic cattle (Bos taurus), usually resulting in a decline in biodiversity. Camera-trap data was used to investigate the habitat use by wombats and cattle in remnant Eastern Riverine Forests. A total of 664 detections of animals from 13 species were made over the entire riparian-zone survey. Wombats were the most detected species, followed by cattle, then foxes and cats. Wombat and cattle activity varied significantly through the diurnal cycle, with wombats active from 1900 to 0700 hours and cattle active from 0700 to 1900 hours. There were no seasonal effects relating to the detection of either species. Feral species such as foxes, cats and rabbits were more frequently detected at sites highly disturbed by cattle. Results of this study illustrate the potential of camera-trapping for modelling habitat use by wombats and cattle and providing guidelines for the management of feral animals in remnant agricultural riparian habitats.
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Bolton, Julia, and Katherine Moseby. "The activity of Sand Goannas Varanus gouldii and their interaction with reintroduced Greater Stick-nest Rats Leporillus conditor." Pacific Conservation Biology 10, no. 3 (2004): 193. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/pc040193.
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The activity pattern of the Sand Goanna Varanus gouldii in northern South Australia was estimated by radio telemetryduring the summer months. Individuals were located within the Arid Recovery Reserve where introduced European Rabbits Oryctolagus cunniculus, Feral Cats Felis catus and European Foxes Vulpes vulpes were removed. Interaction between the re-introduced Greater Stick-nest Rat Leporillus conditor and the Sand Goanna, a potential significant predator in the absence of cats and foxes, was examined. Mean activity area for Sand Goannas was 5.9 ha (�1.0, n = 9), and their summer activity was concentrated on sand dunes rather than the adjacent inter-dunal swales. Tracks of Sand Goannas were found more often around Greater Stick-nest Rat nests than control sites. However, Sand Goanna predation on re-introduced Greater Stick-nest Rats could not be confirmed and most deaths of radio-collared Greater Stick-nest Rats coincided with a period of exceptionally high maximum temperatures and were probably due to heat and dehydration. Sand Goannas scavenged Greater Stick-nest Rat carcasses, and analysis of scats and stomach material revealed that although invertebrates were the most common prey item, mammal material (hair and bones) was present in 20% of scats.
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Mahon, Paul S., Peter B. Banks, and Chris R. Dickman. "Population indices for wild carnivores: a critical study in sand-dune habitat, south-western Queensland." Wildlife Research 25, no. 1 (1998): 11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr97007.
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Populations of feral cats, foxes and dingoes were assessed at four sites in the northern Simpson Desert from May 1995 to October 1996 using track counts. Counts were based on presence/absence of footprints on sandplots placed randomly throughout each of the four sites, with all habitats being sampled in accordance with their availability. Sandplots were repositioned between sampling periods so that data were temporally independent. This unbiased method was used to assess the reliability of more conventional indices of carnivore abundance based on spotlighting and counts of footprints on roads, which were run concurrently with the random sandplot counts. The sandplot data were also used to assess habitat use of the three study species. Counts on regularly spaced sampling plots along roads were correlated with random sandplot counts for foxes, but not for cats. Conversely, an index of activity based on counting individual tracks along roads was correlated for cats, but not for foxes. Spotlighting counts appeared to have little relationship with random sandplot counts for either species, with random sandplot counts and spotlight counts of foxes being correlated for only one of the four sites and no correlations being apparent for cats. The sandplot data showed that cats used dune crests preferentially over other habitats, while foxes preferred both dune crests and roads. Dune crests are probably used as natural runways by both species. Dingoes used roads preferentially over other habitats. It was concluded that differences in the use of roads and other runways by the carnivores can potentially lead to biases in indices collected along roadways. In relation to the random sandplot counts, foxes were overestimated by road counts and spotlighting relative to cats, the latter bias being related possibly to temporal differences in the activity patterns of the two species.
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Mahon, Paul S., Peter B. Banks, and Chris R. Dickman. "Population indices for wild carnivores: a critical study in sand-dune habitat, south-western Queensland." Wildlife Research 25, no. 2 (1998): 217. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr97007_co.
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Populations of feral cats, foxes and dingoes were assessed at four sites in the northern Simpson Desert from May 1995 to October 1996 using track counts. Counts were based on presence/absence of footprints on sandplots placed randomly throughout each of the four sites, with all habitats being sampled in accordance with their availability. Sandplots were repositioned between sampling periods so that data were temporally independent. This unbiased method was used to assess the reliability of more conventional indices of carnivore abundance based on spotlighting and counts of footprints on roads, which were run concurrently with the random sandplot counts. The sandplot data were also used to assess habitat use of the three study species. Counts on regularly spaced sampling plots along roads were correlated with random sandplot counts for foxes, but not for cats. Conversely, an index of activity based on counting individual tracks along roads was correlated for cats, but not for foxes. Spotlighting counts appeared to have little relationship with random sandplot counts for either species, with random sandplot counts and spotlight counts of foxes being correlated for only one of the four sites and no correlations being apparent for cats. The sandplot data showed that cats used dune crests preferentially over other habitats, while foxes preferred both dune crests and roads. Dune crests are probably used as natural runways by both species. Dingoes used roads preferentially over other habitats. It was concluded that differences in the use of roads and other runways by the carnivores can potentially lead to biases in indices collected along roadways. In relation to the random sandplot counts, foxes were overestimated by road counts and spotlighting relative to cats, the latter bias being related possibly to temporal differences in the activity patterns of the two species.
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Dayanti, Marissa Divia, I. Ketut Berata, and I. Ketut Puja. "Sperm Quality and Histology of the Testis and Epididymis in Chemical Castrated Male Cats with Intra-testicular Injection of Sodium Chloride Solution." World's Veterinary Journal 11, no. 4 (December 25, 2021): 634–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.54203/scil.2021.wvj80.
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The high population of feral cats in Bali, Indonesia, could be a problem associated with cat welfare and the risk of zoonotic diseases. Gonadectomy or male castration is an option for population control; however, there would be more economical ways to reach this goal. Sterilization using chemicals is an alternative to the surgical method of castration as it is reasonably priced, activated in a short time, and does not affect animal activity after the chemical administration. The present study aimed to evaluate intratesticular injection of Sodium chloride as an agent of chemosterilants in male cats. In the current study, 16 healthy male cats aged nearly one year old were randomly selected. The male cats were allocated into four groups containing four cats in each. Group 1 (control) received bilateral intratesticular injection with 0.25 mL normal saline solution containing 2% Lidocaine. The cats in groups 2, 3, and 4 received bilateral intratesticular injection of 0.25 mL Sodium chloride solution containing 2% Lidocaine with a concentration of 15%, 20%, and 25%, respectively. At the end of the study (after 30 days of injection), the cats were castrated and their testes were removed for sperm quality and histopathological evaluation. The results of the present study indicated that intratesticular injection of Sodium chloride significantly decreased the motility and viability rates, and increased the abnormalities of the sperms. Histopathological studies revealed marked depletion of spermatozoa in the testes and seminiferous tubular degeneration, seminiferous tubular atrophy, and epithelial cell vacuolation. In conclusion, the injection of 20-25% solution of Sodium chloride in testes had the potential as a chemosterilant for chemical sterilization in cats.
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Graham, Cameron A., Martine Maron, and Clive A. McAlpine. "Influence of landscape structure on invasive predators: feral cats and red foxes in the brigalow landscapes, Queensland, Australia." Wildlife Research 39, no. 8 (2012): 661. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr12008.
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Context Invasive mammalian predators are often associated with fragmented landscapes, and can compound the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on native fauna. Knowledge of how invasive predators are influenced by different landscape structures can assist in the mitigation of their impacts. Aims The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of landscape structure and site-scale habitat attributes on the frequency of feral-cat and red-fox detections in fragmented agricultural landscapes. Methods Field surveys of the frequency of red-fox and feral-cat visitation at a site scale were stratified for six different habitat types in six study subregions. The habitat types were large remnant patch interior, large remnant patch edge, small remnant patch, roadside verge, regrowth patch and open agricultural land adjacent to a remnant patch. Sites were centred in a 1-km buffer area from which landscape composition and configuration were calculated. We applied a generalised linear model and an information-theoretic approach to determine the effect size and importance and rank of the explanatory variables on red-fox, feral-cat and pooled cat and fox detection rates. Key results The most important factors influencing detection rates had a positive effect and included: the dominance of cropping in the landscape (cat, fox, pooled cat and fox); and the density of vegetation at a site scale (fox, pooled cat and fox). The number of native habitat patches was also an important factor in the models of red foxes and pooled invasive predators. Conclusion Spatially heterogeneous cropping landscapes incur higher rates of invasive-predator detections than do intact native-woodland and pasture landscapes at the 1-km scale. At a site scale, elevated invasive-predator detections occurred at sites with dense vegetation, characteristic of narrow woodland and the edges of large woodland patches. Implications The research findings highlight that vertebrate pest management needs to target highly fragmented agricultural landscapes that are more likely to have elevated levels of invasive-predator activity. Landscape restoration efforts need to consider the redesign of landscapes to make them less suitable for predators and more hospitable for native wildlife.
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Hwang, Jusun, Nicole L. Gottdenker, Dae-Hyun Oh, Ho-Woo Nam, Hang Lee, and Myung-Sun Chun. "Disentangling the link between supplemental feeding, population density, and the prevalence of pathogens in urban stray cats." PeerJ 6 (June 25, 2018): e4988. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4988.
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Background Supplemental feeding of free-roaming animals, including wildlife and feral or stray animals, is well known to have a substantial impact on various aspects of animal ecology including habitat use, activity patterns, and host-pathogen interactions. Among them, an increased population density (PD) of animals receiving supplemental food raises concerns regarding the transmission of pathogens in these host populations. The primary aim of this study was to investigate how supplemental feeding is associated with host PD and prevalence of pathogens with different transmission modes in urban stray cats. We hypothesized that supplemental feeding would be positively associated with host PD and the prevalence of pathogens with density-dependent transmission modes compared with pathogens with transmission modes that are considered relatively density-independent. Methods This study was conducted in six districts in Seoul, Republic of Korea which were selected based on different degrees of supplemental feeding and cat caretaker activity (CCA). The PD of stray cats was estimated by mark-recapture surveys. Stray cat blood samples (N = 302) were collected from stray cats by local animal hospitals from each district performing the trap-neuter-release which tested for eight pathogens with different transmission modes (feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline panleukopenia virus, feline calicivirus, feline herpesvirus-1, Bartonella henselae, hemoplasma, and Toxoplasma gondii) with molecular or serological assays. Associations between the prevalence of each pathogen and PD, CCA, and sex of cats were statistically analyzed. Results In contrast to initial predictions, the cat PD was generally higher in low CCA districts. The prevalence of (FeLV), which is transmitted through direct contact, was significantly higher in areas with a high CCA, conforming to our hypothesis. On the other hand, the prevalence of feline parvovirus, which can be spread by environmental transmission, was higher in low CCA districts. The remaining six pathogens did not show any association with the CCA; however, they had a unique association with the PD or the sex of the stray cats. Discussion Our findings suggest that in addition to influencing the PD, supplemental feeding may affect the prevalence of pathogens in urban animals by mechanisms such as increased aggregation and/or altered foraging strategies, with different consequences depending on the transmission mode of each pathogen.
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Tiller, Cameron, Jason Fletcher, Sarah Comer, and Dave Algar. "Using activity and movement patterns to improve the rate of bait encounter during large-scale aerial baiting for feral cats." Australasian Journal of Environmental Management 28, no. 3 (May 24, 2021): 220–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14486563.2021.1927211.
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Leahy, Lily, Sarah M. Legge, Katherine Tuft, Hugh W. McGregor, Leon A. Barmuta, Menna E. Jones, and Christopher N. Johnson. "Amplified predation after fire suppresses rodent populations in Australia’s tropical savannas." Wildlife Research 42, no. 8 (2015): 705. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr15011.
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Context Changes in abundance following fire are commonly reported for vertebrate species, but the mechanisms causing these changes are rarely tested. Currently, many species of small mammals are declining in the savannas of northern Australia. These declines have been linked to intense and frequent fires in the late dry season; however, why such fires cause declines of small mammals is unknown. Aims We aimed to discover the mechanisms causing decline in abundance of two species of small mammals, the pale field rat, Rattus tunneyi, and the western chestnut mouse, Pseudomys nanus, in response to fire. Candidate mechanisms were (1) direct mortality because of fire itself, (2) mortality after fire because of removal of food by fire, (3) reduced reproductive success, (4) emigration, and (5) increased mortality because of predation following fire. Methods We used live trapping to monitor populations of these two species under the following three experimental fire treatments: high-intensity fire that removed all ground vegetation, low-intensity fire that produced a patchy burn, and an unburnt control. We also radio-tracked 38 R. tunneyi individuals to discover the fates of individual animals. Key results Abundance of both species declined after fire, and especially following the high-intensity burn. There was no support for any of the first four mechanisms of population decline, but mortality owing to predation increased after fire. This was related to loss of ground cover (which was greater in the high-intensity fire treatment), which evidently left animals exposed to predators. Also, local activity of two predators, feral cats and dingoes, increased after the burns, and we found direct evidence of predation by feral cats and snakes. Conclusions Fire in the northern savannas has little direct effect on populations of these small mammals, but it causes declines by amplifying the impacts of predators. These effects are most severe for high-intensity burns that remove a high proportion of vegetation cover. Implications To prevent further declines in northern Australia, fire should be managed in ways that limit the effects of increased predation. This could be achieved by setting cool fires that produce patchy burns, avoiding hot fires, and minimising the total area burnt.
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Claridge, Andrew W. "Examining interactions between dingoes (wild dogs) and mesopredators: the need for caution when interpreting summary data from previously published work." Australian Mammalogy 35, no. 2 (2013): 248. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/am12026.
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Australian Mammalogy has recently published papers by Fleming et al. (2012) and Johnson and Ritchie (2013). While not diametrically opposed, these papers variously question the notion that wild dogs can help suppress and/or regulate the activity and abundance of foxes and feral cats. They examine the evidence, or lack thereof, for support of the hypothesis. In doing so, it is clear from both papers that (1) hard experimental data to support or refute the hypothesis are mostly lacking, and (2) supporting or refuting the hypothesis is largely contingent on analyses and reanalyses of correlative evidence. Johnson and Ritchie (2013) inadvertently misinterpreted the results of a third study but they were not privy to additional information from that work that does not support their view. The main purpose of this paper is to, first, point out that information, and, second, to argue that until further experimental work is conducted, continuing to define the role and relative importance of wild dogs in Australian landscapes and applying that knowledge in a management setting will be difficult.
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DETER, J., K. BERTHIER, Y. CHAVAL, J. F. COSSON, S. MORAND, and N. CHARBONNEL. "Influence of geographical scale on the detection of density dependence in the host-parasite system,Arvicola terrestrisandTaenia taeniaeformis." Parasitology 132, no. 4 (December 5, 2005): 595–605. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182005009327.
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Infection by the cestodeTaenia taeniaeformiswas investigated within numerous cyclic populations of the fossorial water voleArvicola terrestrissampled during 4 years in Franche-Comté (France). The relative influence of different rodent demographic parameters on the presence of this cestode was assessed by considering (1) the demographic phase of the cycle; (2) density at the local geographical scale (<0·1 km2); (3) mean density at a larger scale (>10 km2). The local scale corresponded to the rodent population (intermediate host), while the large scale corresponded to the definitive host population (wild and feral cats). General linear models based on analyses of 1804 voles revealed the importance of local density but also of year, rodent age, season and interactions between year and season and between age and season. Prevalence was significantly higher in low vole densities than during local outbreaks. By contrast, the large geographical scale density and the demographic phase had less influence on infection by the cestode. The potential impacts of the cestode on the fitness of the host were assessed and infection had no effect on the host body mass, litter size or sexual activity of voles.
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Twigg, Laurie E., Steve R. Eldridge, Glenn P. Edwards, Bernie J. Shakeshaft, Nicki D. dePreu, and Neville Adams. "The longevity and efficacy of 1080 meat baits used for dingo control in central Australia." Wildlife Research 27, no. 5 (2000): 473. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr99044.
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In central Australia, most 1080 (sodium monofluoroacetate) meat baits placed on soil in predator-proof cages remained toxic to dingoes, foxes and feral cats for at least 8 months regardless of whether they were protected from rain or not. Thus, untaken baits will remain a potential hazard to non-target species, particularly farm dogs, for a considerable period. However, when dingo-control programs were monitored (n = 3 stations), approximately 85% of meat baits were taken within 4 days. Dingo-control programs were undertaken on three stations by placing 1080 meat baits near water points (bores) with known dingo activity. Baiting was effective on two stations but not on the third. Where successful, dingo numbers were reduced by 50–70%. The failure on the third station was not due to the lack of bait-take as approximately 80% of these baits were taken within 4 days; it was probably caused by the presence of ephemeral water-bodies that could not be baited. However, this technique was effective in removing those dingoes that utilised the artificial water points, and hence were likely to be interacting with cattle. Such an outcome has benefits to both conservation and the pastoral industry, as problem dogs are removed without placing the long-term survival of dingoes at risk.
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T. A. Abid, H. J. Kadhim, D. H. Jassim, and. "Study of Some Physiological and Pathological Aspects of Feral Queen’s Reproductive System in Iraq." Al-Qadisiyah Journal of Veterinary Medicine Sciences 10, no. 1 (June 30, 2011): 14. http://dx.doi.org/10.29079/vol10iss1art138.
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The present study is carried out to investigate some aspects of reproduction in Iraqi feral cats. Sixty blood samples and female genital specimens from sexually mature queens were trapped during the period from December 2008 to December 2009.During the entire study period, the results showed that incidence rate of follicular phase was 24.56 % and the highest incidence was in Winter 62.5%, while no follicular activity was noted in animals during Autumn . The hormonal assay showed that the mean of the estradiol -17ß in 14 follicular phase animals was 47.5pg/ml, while The dominance of vaginal epithelial cells in 14 estrus queens were nucleated superficial cells 61.5 %.The incidence of luteal phase was 29.82% and the highest incidence was in Spring 56.66%,and the average of corpora lutea per animal was 4.7 % and the incidence rate of pregnant queens was 19.29%,with high incidence in Summer 33.33% wih no pregnant queens was captured in Winter. The implantation rate was 86.06% and the transuterine migration of embryos was observed in incidence rate 27.27% and all transuterine migration of embryos was occurred in animals with 100% implantation rate . The maximum number of embryos that migrate was 2 /animal. The incidence rate of pseudopregnancy 11.76%, and characterized by present of active corpora lutea on ovaries , with slight enlargement of uterus and uterine tube .In all animals with diestrus the mean of plasma progesterone level was 48 ng/ml ,and the cell comprising the vaginal smear include intermediate cells 47% parabasal cells45% and nucleated cells 5% .The anestrus phase was recognized in incidence rate 36.84% and the highest incidence of anestrus phase was noted in Autumn 75%, Cells comprising the vaginal smear in anestrus queens include intermediate cells 87.9%, parabasal cells 8.6%,nucleated superficial cells 2.7% , anucleated superficial cells 0.8% .The pathological study was revealed 3 out of 60 queens with gross reproductive systems abnormalities ,with incidence rate 5% ,these cases include paraovarian cyst, follicular cysts and pyometra.
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Kreplins, T. L., M. S. Kennedy, P. J. Adams, P. W. Bateman, S. D. Dundas, and P. A. Fleming. "Fate of dried meat baits aimed at wild dog (Canis familiaris) control." Wildlife Research 45, no. 6 (2018): 528. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr17182.
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Context Livestock predation is a worldwide phenomenon, causing financial losses and emotional strain on producers. Wild dogs (Canis familiaris) cause millions of dollars of damage to cattle, sheep and goat production in Australia every year, and despite on-going control (baiting, trapping, shooting, and fencing), they remain a significant problem for livestock producers across many pastoral and agricultural regions of Australia. Aims We aimed to quantify the uptake of dried meat baits by wild dogs and determine whether an olfactory lure (fish oil) could increase uptake. Methods Camera traps and sand pads were used to monitor bait uptake for three baiting events on two pastoral properties in the southern rangelands of Western Australia in 2016 and 2017. Key results Of the 337 monitored baits with a known outcome, young wild dogs (<8 months old) removed only four, three of which were covered in a fish-oil lure. In warmer months, baits were largely consumed by varanids, and in cooler months, when baits were taken it was predominantly by corvids. Varanids and corvids took more baits than expected on the basis of activity indices. Kangaroos, feral cats and wild dogs consumed significantly fewer baits than expected from their activity on camera. Conclusions We have no evidence that adult wild dogs removed baits, despite many opportunities to do so (wild dogs passing cameras), and fewer wild dogs took baits than expected on the basis of activity events seen on camera. Olfactory lures may have the potential to increase bait uptake by naïve individuals (i.e. young dogs), but the sample size was small. Implications Increasing the number of baiting events per year, trialling novel baits, and baiting during low non-target activity are some of the recommended methods that may increase bait persistence and uptake by wild dogs.
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Allen, Benjamin L., Richard M. Engeman, and Lee R. Allen. "Wild dogma: An examination of recent “evidence” for dingo regulation of invasive mesopredator release in Australia." Current Zoology 57, no. 5 (October 1, 2011): 568–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/czoolo/57.5.568.
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Abstract There is growing interest in the role that apex predators play in shaping terrestrial ecosystems and maintaining trophic cascades. In line with the mesopredator release hypothesis, Australian dingoes (Canis lupus dingo and hybrids) are assumed by many to regulate the abundance of invasive mesopredators, such as red foxes Vulpes vulpes and feral cats Felis catus, thereby providing indirect benefits to various threatened vertebrates. Several recent papers have claimed to provide evidence for the biodiversity benefits of dingoes in this way. Nevertheless, in this paper we highlight several critical weaknesses in the methodological approaches used in many of these reports, including lack of consideration for seasonal and habitat differences in activity, the complication of simple track-based indices by incorporating difficult-to-meet assumptions, and a reduction in sensitivity for assessing populations by using binary measures rather than potentially continuous measures. Of the 20 studies reviewed, 15 of them (75%) contained serious methodological flaws, which may partly explain the inconclusive nature of the literature investigating interactions between invasive Australian predators. We therefore assert that most of the “growing body of evidence” for meso-predator release is merely an inconclusive growing body of literature only. We encourage those interested in studying the ecological roles of dingoes relative to invasive mesopredators and native prey species to account for the factors we identify, and caution the value of studies that have not done so.
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McDonald, Peter J., Chris R. Pavey, Kelly Knights, Deon Grantham, Simon J. Ward, and Catherine E. M. Nano. "Extant population of the Critically Endangered central rock-rat Zyzomys pedunculatus located in the Northern territory, Australia." Oryx 47, no. 2 (April 2013): 303–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0030605313000136.
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AbstractThe central rock-rat Zyzomys pedunculatus is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Over the last 50 years the species had only been recorded from 14 sites within a 600 km2 area of the West MacDonnell National Park and immediate surroundings in the Northern Territory, Australia. The central rock-rat disappeared from monitoring sites in 2002, coincident with the onset of drought conditions and extensive wildfires. With concern growing for the survival of the species, we sought to locate an extant population. During 2009–2012 we surveyed sites throughout the western sector of the West MacDonnell National Park, including sites where rock-rats had previously been recorded. From a total of 55 sites and 5,000 trap nights we located eight central rock-rats from only five sites (overall detection rate = 0.16 rock-rats per 100 trap nights). All sites were on two mountain-top locations, both of which are over 1,250 m altitude. Evidence of reproductive activity was observed at both locations but the subpopulations were relatively localized and no individuals were captured at any of the sites from which the species was known previous to these surveys. Although the rugged mountains may provide the central rock-rat with some refuge from predation and wildfires, more research is needed to understand better the factors suppressing and constraining the species at the population and landscape scales. Immediate management priorities are prescribed burning to limit the extent and severity of wildfires and trialling a baiting programme with 1080 to target feral cats in the mountains.
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Hradsky, Bronwyn A. "Conserving Australia’s threatened native mammals in predator-invaded, fire-prone landscapes." Wildlife Research 47, no. 1 (2020): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr19027.
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Abstract Inappropriate fire regimes and predation by introduced species each pose a major threat to Australia’s native mammals. They also potentially interact, an issue that is likely to be contributing to the ongoing collapse of native mammal communities across Australia. In the present review, I first describe the mechanisms through which fire could create predation pinch points, exacerbating the impacts of predators, including red foxes, Vulpes vulpes, and feral cats, Felis catus, on their native mammalian prey. These mechanisms include a localised increase in predator activity (a numerically mediated pathway) and higher predator hunting success after fire (a functionally moderated pathway), which could both increase native mammal mortality and limit population recovery in fire-affected landscapes. Evidence for such interactions is growing, although largely based on unreplicated experiments. Improving native mammal resilience to fire in predator-invaded landscapes requires addressing two key questions: how can the impacts of introduced predators on native mammals in fire-affected areas be reduced; and, does a reduction in predation by introduced species result in higher native mammal survival and population recovery after fire? I then examine potential management options for reducing predator impacts post-fire. The most feasible are landscape-scale predator control and the manipulation of fire regimes to create patchy fire scars. However, robust field experiments with adequate statistical power are required to assess the effectiveness of these approaches and preclude null (e.g. compensatory mortality) or adverse (e.g. mesopredator or competitor release) outcomes. Ongoing predator management and prescribed burning programs provide an opportunity to learn through replicated natural experiments as well as experimental manipulations. Standardised reporting protocols and cross-jurisdiction monitoring programs would help achieve necessary spatial and environmental replication, while multi-trophic, spatially explicit simulation models could help synthesise findings from disparate study designs, predict management outcomes and generate new hypotheses. Such approaches will be key to improving management of the complex mechanisms that drive threatened native mammal populations in Australia’s predator-invaded, fire-prone landscapes.
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Yaeger, M. J., and J. L. Gookin. "Histologic Features Associated with Tritrichomonas foetus-induced Colitis in Domestic Cats." Veterinary Pathology 42, no. 6 (November 2005): 797–804. http://dx.doi.org/10.1354/vp.42-6-797.
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Tritrichomonas foetus is a venereal pathogen of naturally bred cattle. In domestic cats, T. foetus colonizes the colon, resulting in chronic, large-bowel diarrhea. The infection is prevalent among young, densely housed cats, and there is no effective treatment. To the authors' knowledge, the characteristic microscopic lesions of T. foetus infection in naturally infected cats have not been described. The aim of the study reported here was to characterize the histologic changes in the colon of seven cats with T. foetus infection and chronic diarrhea. All cats were 1 year old or younger (mean, 6.7 ± 1.7 months), and a diagnosis of T. foetus infection was made on the basis of direct fecal smear examination (five cats), fecal culture in InPouch™ TF medium (four cats), single-tube nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of DNA extracted from feces (two cats), or observation of trichomonads in sections of colon followed by PCR confirmation on DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue (two cats). The presence of colonic trichomonads was the most diagnostic histologic feature. Organisms were identified in all cats, but in only 24 of 43 (56%) sections of colon. Trichomonads were generally present in close proximity to the mucosal surface and less frequently in the lumen of colonic crypts. The presence of colonic trichomonads was consistently associated with mild-to-moderate lymphoplasmacytic and neutrophilic colitis, crypt epithelial cell hypertrophy, hyperplasia and increased mitotic activity, loss of goblet cells, crypt microabscesses, and attenuation of the superficial colonic mucosa. In two of the cats, histologic lesions were more severe and were associated with invasion of trichomonads into the lamina propria and/or deeper layers of the colon.
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Pelican, K. M., J. L. Brown, D. E. Wildt, M. A. Ottinger, and J. G. Howard. "18OVARIAN SUPPRESSION WITH THE PROGESTIN LEVONORGESTREL IMPROVES OVULATION INDUCTION FOR ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION IN THE DOMESTIC CAT." Reproduction, Fertility and Development 16, no. 2 (2004): 131. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rdv16n1ab18.
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Ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation for artificial insemination (AI) is variable in the domestic cat. After ovulation induction with gonadotropins, a secondary wave of corpora lutea (CL) is often produced that alters endocrine profiles. This study assessed the impact of ovarian suppression with the progestin, levonorgestrel, before ovarian stimulation with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on ovarian response in the cat. Queens were assigned randomly to: 1) levonorgestrel (LNG), 6 Norplant® rods implanted for 37d+eCG/hCG (n=6cats); and 2) Control, eCG/hCG alone (n=6). Ovarian response was graded (scale 1–4; 1=excellent, 4=ovulation failure) 36–40h post hCG (Day 5) using laparoscopy. Ovariohysterectomy (OVH) was performed on Day 23 and CL number and CL progesterone (P) content determined. Fecal samples were collected daily and metabolites of estradiol (E) and P quantified from >60d before inhibition through OVH. Estrus and luteal activity were defined as fecal E and P concentrations greater than two or three times baseline, respectively. Time data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis and remaining data were analyzed using ANOVA. LNG abolished ovarian activity in all cats. No E peaks were observed during LNG inhibition compared with pre-inhibition (mean±SEM; 1.8±0.3 peaks/37 days). In contrast, number of E peaks pre- v. during inhibition was similar (P>0.05) in control (pre, 2.2±0.3; during, 2.0±0.0) cats. All LNG cats had baseline E and P concentrations at eCG administration. Conversely, three of six control cats had elevated E and two cats had elevated P concentrations when eCG was given. Ovarian grade was higher (P<0.05) in LNG (1.3±0.2) v. control (2.9±0.4) cats. All LNG cats had ≤Grade 2 responses, whereas two control cats failed to ovulate (Grade 4) or had mature CL (Grade 3) at laparoscopy. For both LNG and control cats, mean peak E (overall mean, 117.4±14.4ngg−1 feces) was higher (P<0.05) and duration of estrus (6.8±0.9d) was longer (P<0.05) after eCG/hCG v. pre-inhibition values (81.4±5.3ngg−1 feces and 3.9±0.3d, respectively). However, P concentrations/luteal phase were higher (P<0.05)after eCG/hCG v. pre-treatment CL in control but not LNG cats. In cats with an ovarian grade of ≤2, control cats had more (P<0.05) CL at Day 23 (14.0±2.9CL/cat) compared to Day 5 (4.5±0.5).LNG cats showed no (P>0.05) accessory CL development on Day 23 (9.2±1.9CL/cat)compared to Day 5 (6.5±1.8). CL P content was not different (P>0.05) across treatments (overall mean, 90.8±18.7ngCL). Results show that inhibition of ovarian activity with levonorgestrel before eCG/hCG improves ovarian response and alleviates accessory CL development in the domestic cat.
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Klaus, Julia, Marina Meli, Barbara Willi, Sarah Nadeau, Christian Beisel, Tanja Stadler, Herman Egberink, et al. "Detection and Genome Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in a Domestic Cat with Respiratory Signs in Switzerland." Viruses 13, no. 3 (March 17, 2021): 496. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v13030496.
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Since the emergence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in late 2019, domestic cats have been demonstrated to be susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) under natural and experimental conditions. As pet cats often live in very close contact with their owners, it is essential to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infections in cats in a One-Health context. This study reports the first SARS-CoV-2 infection in a cat in a COVID-19-affected household in Switzerland. The cat (Cat 1) demonstrated signs of an upper respiratory tract infection, including sneezing, inappetence, and apathy, while the cohabiting cat (Cat 2) remained asymptomatic. Nasal, oral, fecal, fur, and environmental swab samples were collected twice from both cats and analyzed by RT-qPCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA. Both nasal swabs from Cat 1 tested positive. In addition, the first oral swab from Cat 2 and fur and bedding swabs from both cats were RT-qPCR positive. The fecal swabs tested negative. The infection of Cat 1 was confirmed by positive SARS-CoV-2 S1 receptor binding domain (RBD) antibody testing and neutralizing activity in a surrogate assay. The viral genome sequence from Cat 1, obtained by next generation sequencing, showed the closest relation to a human sequence from the B.1.1.39 lineage, with one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) difference. This study demonstrates not only SARS-CoV-2 infection of a cat from a COVID-19-affected household but also contamination of the cats’ fur and bed with viral RNA. Our results are important to create awareness that SARS-CoV-2 infected people should observe hygienic measures to avoid infection and contamination of animal cohabitants.
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Garcia-Mazcorro, Jose F., Jose R. Barcenas-Walls, Jan S. Suchodolski, and Jörg M. Steiner. "Molecular assessment of the fecal microbiota in healthy cats and dogs before and during supplementation with fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin using high-throughput 454-pyrosequencing." PeerJ 5 (April 18, 2017): e3184. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3184.
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Prebiotics are selectively fermentable dietary compounds that result in changes in the composition and/or activity of the intestinal microbiota, thus conferring benefits upon host health. In veterinary medicine, commercially available products containing prebiotics have not been well studied with regard to the changes they trigger on the composition of the gut microbiota. This study evaluated the effect of a commercially available nutraceutical containing fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin on the fecal microbiota of healthy cats and dogs when administered for 16 days. Fecal samples were collected at two time points before and at two time points during prebiotic administration. Total genomic DNA was obtained from fecal samples and 454-pyrosequencing was used for 16S rRNA gene bacterial profiling. The linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) method was used for detecting bacterial taxa that may respond (i.e., increase or decrease in its relative abundance) to prebiotic administration. Prebiotic administration was associated with a good acceptance and no side effects (e.g., diarrhea) were reported by the owners. A low dose of prebiotics (50 mL total regardless of body weight with the end product containing 0.45% of prebiotics) revealed a lower abundance of Gammaproteobacteria and a higher abundance of Veillonellaceae during prebiotic administration in cats, while Staphylococcaceae showed a higher abundance during prebiotic administration in dogs. These differences were not sufficient to separate bacterial communities as shown by analysis of weighted UniFrac distance metrics. A predictive approach of the fecal bacterial metagenome using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) also did not reveal differences between the period before and during prebiotic administration. A second trial using a higher dose of prebiotics (3.2 mL/kg body weight with the end product containing 3.1% of prebiotics) was tested in dogs and revealed a lower abundance ofDorea(family Clostridiaceae) and a higher abundance ofMegamonasand other (unknown) members of Veillonellaceae during prebiotic administration. Again, these changes were not sufficient to separate bacterial communities or predicted metabolic profiles according to treatment. A closer analysis of bacterial communities at all time-points revealed highly individualized patterns of variation. This study shows a high interindividual variation of fecal bacterial communities from pet cats and dogs, that these communities are relatively stable over time, and that some of this variation can be attributable to prebiotic administration, a phenomenon that may be affected by the amount of the prebiotic administered in the formulation. This study also provides insights into the response of gut bacterial communities in pet cats and dogs during administration of commercially available products containing prebiotics. More studies are needed to explore potentially beneficial effects on host health beyond changes in bacterial communities.
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Paßlack, Nadine, Louisa Verena Thies, Wilfried Vahjen, and Jürgen Zentek. "Effects of the Protein Concentration and Quality in a Canned Diet on the Fecal Microbiota of Healthy Adult Cats." Metabolites 12, no. 2 (January 24, 2022): 105. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/metabo12020105.
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Feline diets can markedly differ in their protein concentration and quality, which might also affect the intestinal microbiota of cats. In the present study, 6 canned diets, differing in their protein quality (high/low, achieved by varying amounts of meat and collagen-rich ingredients) and concentration (high quality/low quality: 36.2/36.7% in dry matter (DM), 43.3/45.0% in DM and 54.9/56.1% in DM), were fed to 10 healthy adult cats for 6 weeks each. At the end of the feeding periods, fecal samples were collected to analyze the microbiota (16S rDNA sequencing) and bacterial metabolites. Increasing dietary protein concentrations increased the relative abundance of Fusobacterium and Bacteroides as well as the concentrations of ammonium and n-valerate in the feces of the cats, independently of the dietary protein quality. A lower dietary protein quality was accompanied by a higher evenness index and a higher relative abundance of Fusobacteria and Bacteroidetes in the feces when compared to the feeding of the high protein quality diets. A promotion of bacterial proteolytic activity and, in particular, increased intestinal ammonium concentrations might be undesired effects of high protein intakes in cats. Whether the long-term feeding of those diets could be critical for feline health requires further investigation.
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Makawey, Adjet, Christine Iben, and Rupert Palme. "Cats at the Vet: The Effect of Alpha-s1 Casozepin." Animals 10, no. 11 (November 5, 2020): 2047. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani10112047.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of α-s1 casozepin on cat stress responses at a veterinary practice. Cats feel confident in their familiar surroundings and daily routine. A visit, and transport, to the veterinarian is a stressful experience for cats and their owners. Stress can mask clinical signs and has physiological impacts. Alpha-s1 casozepin (Zylkène; Vétoquinol) could potentially minimize stress in cats with its calming and anxiolytic characteristics. A randomized, partial double-blind and placebo-controlled study was carried out with 60 adult cats. The trial was designed for three groups: low dose (15 mg/kg q24 h α-s1 casozepin for six days), high dose (75 mg/kg q24 h α-s1 casozepin for three days), and a placebo (one fructose capsule per day for three days). For the study, cats had a checkup at their trusted veterinarian without the dietary supplement, followed by a second one four weeks later. Alpha-s1 casozepin or a placebo was administered three to six days before the checkup. Fecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) were measured to non-invasively evaluate the impact of α-s1 casozepin on adrenocortical activity. The cat owners and veterinarians also assessed the physiological reactions (respiratory rate, sweaty paws, pupils, panting, and vocalization) of the cats at home, in the waiting area, and in the examination room. The only significant effect (kappa coefficient κ = 0.007 and κ = 0.003) found in this study was the absence of sweaty paws in cats who were treated with the high dose of α-s1 casozepin over three days, observed in the waiting area and examination room of the veterinarian’s practice, respectively. Alpha-s1 casozepin also showed a small but insignificant reduction in FCM levels. Alpha-s1 casozepin influences the autonomic nervous system, and can inhibit sweaty paws during stressful situations for cats.
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Walker, DW, and AR Luff. "Functional development of fetal limb muscles: a review of the roles of activity, nerves and hormones." Reproduction, Fertility and Development 7, no. 3 (1995): 391. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rd9950391.
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Animals that are immature at birth with respect to postural and locomotor control (e.g. cats, rats) possess incompletely differentiated 'fast-twitch' and 'slow-twitch' muscles at birth; full development proceeds slowly in the postnatal period and involves myogenic, hormonal, neural and behavioural factors. The gradual emergence of specific motor patterns and the exercise of individual muscle groups is thought to play a major role in the final development of each muscle and the fibre types which comprise them. In contrast, precocial species such as the sheep are born with skeletal muscles, especially those of the limbs, which are fully differentiated at birth. The relative importance of neural and hormonal factors in allowing this functional specialization to occur in the presumed absence of significant load-bearing exercise in the intrauterine environment is unclear. In this brief review, the changes which occur in contractile function and fibre type differentiation during the last one-third of gestation in fetal sheep are described, and some of the factors which influence this development are considered.
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Giunchi, D., N. E. Baldaccini, G. Sbragia, and C. Soldatini. "On the use of pharmacological sterilisation to control feral pigeon populations." Wildlife Research 34, no. 4 (2007): 306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr06153.
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The use of chemosterilisation for controlling feral pigeon populations was investigated by: (1) quantifying the reproductive activity of pigeons in two Italian cities; (2) testing the efficacy of nicarbazin, an anticoccidial drug with rapid and reversible effects on the reproduction of laying hens, on groups of paired pigeons maintained in open aviaries; and (3) simulating the effects of the use of nicarbazin on a hypothetical population, allowing for the reproductive productivity recorded in (1) and the efficacy of this drug as obtained in (2). Breeding attempts were recorded all year round in both study sites with a minimum peak in September–October, a maximum in March–July, but with active nests in winter too. In terms of the sterility activity of the drug, the results showed only a partial inhibition of reproduction of pigeons fed ~38–82 mg nicarbazin day–1 (kg bodyweight)–1 (500 and 800 ppm in feed), which, according to the simulations, would produce only a fleeting reduction of their abundance in the field. Data do not seem to support the use of this drug as an effective control method for feral pigeons, and they cast doubts on the opportunity to make use of chemosterilants, which produce only partial and reversible effects. The use of this drug could perhaps be considered only as part of an integrated pest-management program, which necessarily has to include the reduction of carrying capacity of the urban environment.
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Krevsky, B., M. B. Somers, A. H. Maurer, L. S. Malmud, L. C. Knight, and R. S. Fisher. "Quantitative measurement of feline colonic transit." American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology 255, no. 4 (October 1, 1988): G529—G534. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.1988.255.4.g529.
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Colonic transit scintigraphy, a method for quantitatively evaluating the movement of the fecal stream in vivo, was employed to evaluate colonic transit in the cat. Scintigraphy was performed in duplicate in five cats and repeated four times in one cat. After instillation of an 111In marker into the cecum through a surgically implanted silicone cecostomy tube, colonic movement of the instillate was quantitated for 24 h using gamma scintigraphy. Antegrade and retrograde motion of radionuclide was observed. The cecum and ascending colon emptied rapidly, with a half-emptying time of 1.68 +/- 0.56 h (mean +/- SE). After 24 h, 25.1 +/- 5.2% of the activity remained in the transverse colon. The progression of the geometric center was initially rapid, followed later by a delayed phase. Geometric center reproducibility was found to be high when analyzed using simple linear regression (slope = 0.92; r = 0.73; P less than 0.01). Atropine (0.1 mg/kg im) was found to delay cecum and ascending colon emptying and delay progression of the geometric center. These results demonstrate both 1) the ability of colonic transit scintigraphy to detect changes in transit induced by pharmacological manipulation and 2) the fact that muscarinic blockade inhibits antegrade transit of the fecal stream. We conclude that feline colonic transit may be studied in a quantitative and reproducible manner with colonic transit scintigraphy.