Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Feral cats'

Sociologists have described the characteristics of individuals who become involved in social movements, their motivations for becoming involved, and the methods used to recruit participants. One group that has been underrepresented in the existing literature is feral cat caretakers. The purpose of this study is to examine the traits of this group, information which would be valuable to groups dedicated to educating the public about the plight of feral cats, groups which offer information and resources to caretakers, individuals wishing to network with other feral cat caretakers, and policy makers in need of knowing what options exist to deal with feral cats. A small sample of fifteen participants was interviewed either face-to-face or by email. Questions were open-ended to facilitate individual discussion and expression. The sample was drawn from personal acquaintances, recruitment letters posted in spay/neuter clinics, email blasts to members of feral cat networks, and referrals from participants. Results demonstrated that while the demographics of the participants were similar to others involved in social movements, there were some differences in their recruitment methods and involvement in organized groups. Feral cat caretakers demonstrated a very strong sense of personal efficacy and self motivation.

The feral colony cats living in the city of Milan was studied in order to develop a health and population control program. 266 urban feral cats were captured as part of trap-neutered-release (TNR) programme between November 2008 and April 2011. Cats were classified according to gender, age, coat marking, weight, BCS, health status. They were examined for the presence of clinical alteration ,presence of ectoparasites . From each cat, blood samples were drawn , from 61 cats urine samples for urinanalysis were obtained by bladder puncture cystocentesis , from 100 cats swab specimens for cytological examination were obtained by the external ear canal ,from 149 cats hairs were collected, for 139 cats faecal samples produced during hospitalization were collected for parasitological investigations. Based on the sample 7 original works are developed with the following titles: 1-Seroprevalence of feline immunodeficiency virus, felin leukaemia virus and Toxoplasma gondii in stray cat colonies in northern Italy and correlation with clinical and laboratory data. 2- Survey of dermatophytes and saprophytic fungi in stray cats with and without skin lesions in northern Italy. 3- Prevalence of otitis externa evaluated with otic cytology in a population of feral cats. 4- Population characteristics of feral colony cats admitted to TRN program in the city of Milan . 5- Hematologic values of feral colony cats in the city of Milan. 6- Renal and urinary parameters of feral colony cats in the city of Milan. 7- Gastrointestinal helminths parasites in feral colony cats in the city of Milan .

Settlement by Europeans brought with it many changes to the Australian environment including: altered fire regimes; land clearing; hunting native animals; and the introduction of exotic diseases, herbivores and predators. Many of these factors have been proposed as causes of declines in the diversity and ranges of native vertebrates, especially mammals, although few have been studied experimentally. This study at Heirisson Prong in Shark Bay, Western Australia, examined the role of exotic predators in the decline of native fauna by investigating the predatory impact of feral cats and foxes on the small (<50 g) mammal and reptile fauna using both dietary analysis and a controlled field experiment. The study arose from perceived shortcomings in the knowledge of the impacts of these predators upon Australian native vertebrates and apparent difficulties in the control of feral cats in particular. Heirisson Prong was an appropriate site for such a study, as populations of feral cats and foxes were already being controlled to protect threatened mammals reintroduced to mainland Australia from offshore islands. The methods of predator control used at Heirisson Prong created three broad zones differing in cat and fox activity. This provided the opportunity to investigate the inter-specific interactions between feral cats and foxes and their predatory impact on small mammals and reptiles. Options for the control of feral cats were also explored by testing a range of trapping and poisoning techniques. Populations of three native species of mammals, two introduced species of mammals and three native families of reptiles were monitored one year before and three years after predator control. Fencing, shooting, poisoning and trapping were used to eradicate feral cats and foxes from a 12 km^2 area on the northern end of Heirisson Prong peninsula. Such intensive control led to a rapid decline in spotlight counts of foxes (from 0.162 ± 0.052 foxes.km^-1 in December 1989 to <0.010 foxes.km^-1 after December 1991) and a rise, followed by a slow decline in spotlight counts of feral cats (from 0.063 ± 0.034 cats.km^-1 in December 1989 to 0.131 ± 0.013 cats.km^-1 in February 1992, declining to 0.000 - 0.050 cats.km^-1 after July 1992). A buffer zone of 200 km^2 immediately south of the fenced area was baited twice a year with dried meat baits containing sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) to reduce the chance of foxes reaching the barrier fence. This level of control was effective against foxes, but not against feral cats. Spotlight counts of foxes declined (0.015 ± 0.010 foxes.km^-1 in March 1990 to 0.000 foxes km^-1 in April 1991) while spotlight counts of feral cats rose three-fold (0.059 ± 0.012 cats.km^-1 in April 1991 to 0.184 ± 0.081 cats.km^-1 in March 1994). Spotlight surveys of a third area, in which no feral cat or fox control was conducted, showed only seasonal fluctuations (peaks in summer, lows in winter). The effect of different densities of feral cats and foxes upon the abundance of small mammals and reptiles (< 50 g) was assessed using pitfall traps to monitor the capture rates of these animals. Concurrently, the diet of feral cats and foxes was assessed by analysing gut contents. Populations of rabbits (~1.5 kg), an exotic prey item for feral cats and foxes, were monitored during spotlight surveys of feral cats and foxes. Mammals were the most important group of prey to both predators, but native rodents were more important to feral cats than to foxes. The capture rates of native mammals increased following the removal of feral cats and foxes from Heirisson Prong (42 mammals trapped in June 1990 vs. 93 mammals in July 1994). declined by 80% where spotlight counts of feral cats rose following fox control (55 mammals in March 1990 vs. 7 in March 1994) and remained low, but steady, where feral cats and foxes were not controlled. The strongest responses were shown by the ash-grey mouse and the sandy inland mouse, which are known to spend up to 61% of their time foraging in open habitat, and were therefore more likely to encounter predators. Reptiles were not as important as native mammals in the diet of both cats and foxes and did not appear to show the same trends in response to changes in predator density. Rabbits were important prey for both feral cats and foxes and their populations appear to be regulated by both the onset of seasonal rainfall and predation by feral cats and foxes. Research into trapping and poison baiting techniques targeting feral cats assessed four different types of traps, a range of lures and four types of poison baits. The most effective trap tested at Heirisson Prong was the Victor Soft Catch® trap (No. 1.5) (0.86 feral cats per 100 trap nights) and the lure with the best performance used at trap-sites at Heirisson Prong was the social scent lure. Pro’s Choice. Four methods of poison baiting were tested on a radio-collared population of feral cats, ranging from nine cats in the first trial, to eight cats in the second and third, to seven cats in the fourth. The baits tested were dried meat baits, baiting rabbits to kill cats through secondary poisoning, a fishmeal-based bait and a semi-dried meat bait coated in the flavour enhancer Digest. Only one radio-collared cat, whose home range included a rubbish tip, died after eating a fishmeal-based bait. Such a low kill rate in this series of bait trials suggests that none of the methods of poison baiting tested could be recommended for the control of feral cats in semi-arid Australia. This study at Heirisson Prong represents the first experimental field study which manipulated densities of feral cats and foxes to show that feral cats can have a negative impact on populations of small native mammals. It showed that selective control of foxes alone was deleterious to populations of small native rodents, because feral cats, which included more small mammals in their diet than foxes, increased in abundance when relieved from the possible competitive and/or predatory forces exerted by foxes. Techniques are already established for the control of fox.es in many parts of Australia, but in the absence of an effective poison bait to control feral cats, options to control populations of feral cats are limited to trapping using Victor Soft Catch® traps (No. 1.5) baited with a social scent lure such as Pro’s Choice in small areas such as fenced reserves or offshore islands. Finally, monitoring both predator and prey populations should be considered as an essential element in all predator control campaigns to ensure that the desired outcome is achieved.

The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is an ecosystem engineer, modifying the physical environment through their digging activity. Their burrows provide shelter and hunting or foraging opportunities for a variety of species. Bilbies have experienced a severe decline in abundance and are now restricted to approximately 20% of their former distribution, resulting in the species being listed as ‘Vulnerable’. This decline has been driven, in part, by predation pressure from introduced predators such as feral cats. Predators can directly impact prey species survival and may also cause a change in the behaviour of prey species as they respond to the risk of predation. We used camera traps to monitor bilby burrows at five sites in Western Australia, with varying levels of predation risk to bilbies by cats. We investigated the impact of feral cats on the behaviour of bilbies at burrows, particularly during highly vulnerable periods, while they dig and clear away soil or debris from the mouth of their burrow. We tested the effect of visitation by cats on the proportion of days a bilby was active, camera detection rate, and burrowing behaviour, the effect of different levels of predation risk (between site comparison) on bilby burrowing behaviour, and the time of night bilbies perform maintenance. We also tested if cat activity was influenced by lunar illumination. Overall, there was little evidence that bilbies avoided burrows after a visit by a feral cat; however, they reduced the time spent performing burrow maintenance in the days following a cat visit (p=0.010). Bilbies performed varying amounts of burrow maintenance, and at different times of the night between sites. Finally, cat activity at bilby burrows significantly increased with lunar illumination (p=0.010) but was not influenced by bilby camera detection rate. Our results show that bilbies in the West Kimberley are not as naïve to feral cats as previously thought.

ABSTRACT Despite increasing evidence for the impact of feral cats Felis catus on native fauna in Australia, little is known of the ecology of cats, particularly factors that limit cat abundance. The ecology of the feral cat in Australia is represented by just 15 published studies on diet, only one of which has examined diet in relation to prey availability, and one study of home range behaviour. The red fox Vulpes vulpes is a significant pest to agriculture and native fauna in Australia and widespread fox removals have been proposed by the Vertebrate Biocontrol Cooperative Research Centre (VBCRC). However, there is concern that feral cats may increase compensatorily when fox populations are reduced, as has occurred in Western Australia, and therefore that predation pressure may not be alleviated on native fauna following fox control programs. This thesis is divided into two parts. First, the diet and home range size of cats is examined in relation to prey availability, and home range overlap and habitat use are determined. In the second part, several niche parameters (diet, home range and habitat use) that were potentially important resources for foxes and cats were quantified to assess the potential for competition. Avoidance and aggression between cats and foxes was examined using simultaneous radiotracking techniques and video observations. The hypothesis that foxes limit cats through interspecific competition (exploitation and interference) was then tested using a fox removal experiment. Finally, three further hypotheses were tested using a fox removal experiment to determine which factors limit feral cats at Burrendong. The four hypotheses tested were thus: i) Cats are limited independently of foxes through other factors such as food availability; ii) Foxes limit cats through interspecific competition (exploitation and/or interference); iii) Foxes limit cats through intraguild predation; iv) Cats benefit from the presence of foxes through facilitation. The diets and spatial use of feral cats were examined on agricultural land on the eastern shore of Lake Burrendong, New South Wales (32o40�S, 149o 10�E) between July 1994 and June 1997. The major land use for the area is water catchment under the agistment of sheep Ovis aries and cattle Bos taurus. The study area encompasses about 90 km2 of hilly terrain with undulating slopes that extend down to a flat foreshore area that has been extensively cleared of trees for grazing. The slopes are generally well timbered and dominated by white box Eucalyptus albens woodlands with some yellow box E. melliodora associations. Stands of cyprus pines Callitris spp. are also common. Feral cats and red foxes are established throughout the study area, and the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus was abundant until the arrival of Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD) in June 1996. The diet of feral cats was determined from the analysis of 499 scats. Rabbits were the staple prey of cats, with occurrence (O) in 81.6% of scats and comprising 68.4% by volume (V). Carrion (mostly eastern grey kangaroo Macropus giganteus and sheep) (O 21.5%, V 11.5%) was an important secondary food, particularly in winter and spring. Other mammalian prey included brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula (O 4.6%, V 2.4%), house mice Mus domesticus (O 6.2%, V 3.2%), black rats Rattus rattus (O 2.6%, V 1.4%) and a dunnart Sminthopsis sp. (probably S. murina) (O 0.2%, V 0.006%). Invertebrates (mostly Orthopterans) (O 41.5%, V 7.5%), vegetation (O 26.3%, V 3.6%), birds (O 4.2%, V 0.8%) and reptiles (O 3.4%, V 0.3%) were generally of minor importance in the diet. Few significant seasonal differences were found, although invertebrates contributed significantly less, and possums more, to the mean scat volume in winter and summer respectively. A significant dietary response was found for changes in rabbit abundance, but not for the other prey groups. Cats continued to prey heavily on rabbits after the arrival of Rabbit Calicivirus Disease, despite the relatively low numbers of rabbits. Ten months post-RCD, house mice increased in importance in the diet. However, it was not known whether this represented prey switching sensu stricto or opportunistic predation on an increased mouse population, as mouse abundance was not measured during this period. Seventy-seven cats (48 recaptures) were caught in 6762 trap nights between November 1994 and August 1996 using both cage traps and leg-hold traps. A further 18 individual cats were trapped as non-target animals by the VBCRC Fox Sterility Project and used in this study. Trapped adult cats were fitted with radio collars and their home range size, overlap and habitat use examined. Home ranges and core areas were quantified using 95% and 50% kernel utilisation distributions (KE 95 and KE 50) and minimum convex polygons (MCP 100, MCP 95, MCP 50). Four habitat types (grassland, open woodland, open forest, and mudflats) were delineated on aerial photographs and a habitat map produced using ARC/INFO. Compositional analysis was used to examine habitat preference in cats. Home range sizes of cats (n = 15, 598 fixes) in winter 1995, prior to fox removal, were similar to those reported in the only published study of cat spatial use in Australia, but larger than those recorded elsewhere. This may have reflected more dispersed food resources in Australia, although home range size was not correlated significantly with rabbit abundance. Male ranges (MCP 95 = 284 ha, n = 11) tended to be larger than females ( = 151ha, n = 4), but no differences were detected between young (1-3 years, = 271ha, n = 7) and old (>3 years, = 221ha, n = 8) cats. Cats were active both by day and night with no temporal differences being detected in range size. Both adult male and female cats tended to be solitary, although home ranges overlapped extensively. Kin groups were indicated (but not confirmed) as most inter-sexual overlap occurred between young and old cats. Habitat composition of home ranges generally reflected the availability of habitats at the study site, although cats significantly avoided mudflats. Home ranges comprised mostly open woodland and open forest habitats with smaller areas of grassland and mudflats. However, within individual home ranges, cats used grassland and open woodland habitats most often where rabbits were more abundant. Inter-individual (sex, age) or temporal (day/night) differences in habitat use were not detected. Comparison of resource use between cats and foxes indicated a large overlap in diet, home ranges and habitat use. Dietary breadths and overlaps between cats and foxes increased when rabbit availability declined in autumn and post-RCD. Dietary overlap was high overall (75%), although some resource partitioning was detected. Rabbits were more important in the diet of cats than foxes, particularly in summer, when foxes ate more grasshoppers. Carrion, invertebrates and vegetation were more important for foxes than for cats overall. Home ranges of both cats and foxes comprised mostly open woodland habitats followed by grassland, open forest and mudflats, which largely reflected their relative availabilities. However, within individual home ranges, cats showed a preference for grassland habitats. In addition, cats tended to deposit scats more often than foxes at rabbit warrens and at hollow log entrances, while foxes deposited scats more often than cats on sand plots, tracks and at dams. The large overlap in resource use between cats and foxes indicated a high potential for exploitation competition. Foxes may attempt to lessen competition by killing cats (interference competition). Three radiocollared cats were killed by foxes and aggression was observed toward cats. Home ranges overlapped extensively, but avoidance was indicated from the simultaneous radiotracking of both predators, as greater separations and lower overlaps in home ranges and core areas were recorded between species than within species. In addition, video observations suggested avoidance of carcasses by cats in the presence of foxes. The hypothesis that foxes limit feral cats through interspecific competition was then tested using a fox removal experiment. Foxes were reduced at two of the four sites from October 1995 using �1080� baiting and spotlight shooting by the VBCRC Predator-Prey project. Resource use and abundance of cats were compared before and after fox removal and between treated and untreated sites. Although no increase in cat abundance followed the removal of foxes, significant behavioural changes by cats strongly suggested interspecific competition operating via exploitation and interference. Exploitation competition was supported by the increased consumption of carrion by cats at the treated sites after fox removal, while support for interference competition came from the increased use of grassland habitats at night after fox removal. The direction of the resource shifts to more prey-rich habitats indicated asymmetry in the relationship between the two predator species. Although the null hypothesis of no limitation of cats by foxes could not be rejected, as no increase in cat abundance was recorded after fox removal, interspecific competition was considered to be the most likely mechanism limiting feral cats at Burrendong. Intraguild predation was not indicated as no cat remains were found in any of the 343 fox scats or 255 fox stomachs that were examined. In addition, minimal evidence was found for facilitation between cats and foxes, or for food limitation. The potential for foxes to limit cats, as shown in this study, indicates that cats need to be considered in future fox control operations. Integrated pest management, where foxes, cats and rabbits are controlled together, is strongly proposed if the objective is to safeguard native fauna in Australia. Further research is required to improve the effectiveness of current techniques for censusing cat populations, particularly in forested areas. This is essential for monitoring the effectiveness of control campaigns and quantifying factors that limit cat populations, and ultimately for effective protection of susceptible native fauna.

Invasive predators are major drivers of global biodiversity loss and their impacts may be worsened by other disturbances such as fire. I examined how the fire history of shrublands influences the ecology of feral cats Felis catus, dingoes Canis dingo and their prey species in Western Australia’s northern Wheatbelt region. A review of the literature revealed that feral cats inhabit a diverse range of ecosystems worldwide, but are generally recorded most often in habitat types characterised by a mixture of plant growth forms close to ground level. Cat habitat use is influenced by predation/competition, prey availability, shelter availability and anthropogenic resource subsidies. Relatively few studies were available for review and the strength of evidence contained within them was generally low, which highlighted the need for more rigorous field studies. I examined overlap in resource use between cats and dingoes using remote camera surveys and dietary analysis of scats. Both carnivores were recorded in all four major habitat types: recently burnt shrublands (10 to 14 years since last fire), long unburnt shrublands (34 to ~49 years), very long unburnt shrublands (> 50 years), and woodlands. Dingoes and cats preferred woodlands and very long unburnt shrublands respectively, but spatial overlap between the two species was still common. Mean diurnal activity time for feral cats was two and a half hours later than that of dingoes. The diet of feral cats was more diverse than that of dingoes and dietary overlap between the two carnivores was relatively low. Rabbit remains did occur relatively frequently in both cat and dingo scats, but small mammals, reptiles and birds were also common in cat scats, and macropods in dingo scats. Nine of the 15 prey species studied showed a preference for either recently burnt or long unburnt shrublands. Two small mammals and three reptiles were most abundant in recently burnt areas, while the abundance of one small mammal and three reptiles was highest in long unburnt areas. Using giving up density experiments, I showed that rodents exhibited differential foraging behaviour in the two vegetation fire ages. The rodents foraged for longer in sheltered compared to open microhabitats, but this pattern only occurred in recently burnt, not long unburnt shrublands, probably because the higher density of understorey vegetation in recently burnt areas provided the rodents with extra cover to hide and escape from predators. I also developed a new framework for conceptualising interactions between invasive predators and other ecological disturbances, such as fire, habitat fragmentation, and top -predator decline. The impacts of invasive predators can be classified as either functional (density -independent) or numerical (density -dependent), and they interact with other threats through both habitat -mediated (fire, grazing, land clearing) and community -mediated (top -predator decline, altered prey populations, anthropogenic resource subsidies) interaction pathways. The key findings of this thesis show that both old and young shrublands can be suitable habitat for feral cats; predator -prey dynamics are influenced by successional habitat stages; small mammals show behavioural, as well as population -level responses to fire; and that invasive predator management is likely to benefit from addressing multiple threats in unison.

Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cats (Felis catus) are present throughout a wide range of habitats and landscapes across much of Australia. In addition to the competition and predatory impacts of these two pest species, red foxes and feral cats harbour a wide range of parasites, many of which may have important conservation, agricultural and zoonotic repercussions. This project investigated the occurrence of helminth parasites from the intestines of 147 red foxes and 47 feral cats collected from 14 and 11 locations respectively, throughout southwest Western Australia. Helminth parasites were detected in 58% of foxes and 81% of cats. Helminth species identified from red foxes were: Dipylidium caninum (27.7% of individual foxes examined), Uncinaria stenocephala (18.2%), Toxocara canis (14.9%), Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (5.4%), Toxascaris leonina (4.7%), Taenia spp. (4.1%), Taenia serialis (1.4%), Taenia hydatigena (0.7%), Brachylaima cribbi (0.7%), Plagiorchis maculosus (0.7%) and an Acanthocephalan identified to family Centrorhynchidae (2.1%). Helminth species identified from feral cats were: Taenia taeniaeformis (39.1% of individual cats examined), Toxocara cati (34.8%), Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (19.6%), Oncicola pomatostomi (15.2%), Toxascaris leonina (6.5%), Dipylidium caninum (6.5%), Ancylostoma spp (2.2%) and the Acanthocephalan Centrorhynchidae (2.2%). Infracommunity richness varied from 1-3 and 1-4 species per host in red foxes and feral cats respectively. Average parasite burdens varied from 1-39 worms across all helminth species. Several environmental factors were significantly related to the presence of some parasites in red foxes. For red foxes, the percentage remnant vegetation cover at each sampling location was significantly positively correlated with the presence of T. canis and U. stenocephala (p<0.001). Average relative humidity was significantly positively correlated with the presence of S. erinaceieuropaei (p<0.001), T. leonina (p<0.01) and U. stenocephala (p<0.01). Five year average minimum temperature had an effect on S. erinaceieuropaei and U. stenocephala (p<0.001). For feral cats, a significant positive correlation was detected between the presence of T. cati and five year annual rainfall (p<0.001) as well as individual head/body length and T. taeniaeformis (p<0.001). Helminth species associations were detected between U. stenocephala and D. caninum, S. erinaceieuropaei, T. canis and T. leonina in red foxes. A significant association was also detected between S. erinaceieuropaei and T. leonina in red foxes. In feral cats helminth species associations were detected between T. taeniaeformis and O. pomatostomi as well as between T. taeniaeformis and T. cati. The only parasite that was positively correlated with body condition (assessed by body mass) was S. erinaceieuropaei in foxes. The species richness within a host was not observed to affect body condition in either foxes or cats. In conclusion, red foxes and feral cats in southwest Western Australia harbour a wide range of helminth parasites, which are of veterinary significance for wildlife and livestock. Control of red foxes and feral cats in this region may therefore provide an important mechanism of control of these parasites. Importantly, Echinococcus granulosus, a parasite of major zoonotic concern, was not recorded in this study.

A survey of gastro-intestinal parasites was conducted on faecal samples collected from 379 feral cats and 851 native fauna from 16 locations throughout Western Australia. The prevalence of each parasite species detected varied depending upon the sampling location. Common helminth parasites detected in feral cats included Ancylostoma spp. (29.8%), Oncicola pomatostomi (25.6%), Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (14%), Taenia taeniaeformis (4.7%), Physaloptera praeputialis (3.7%) and Toxocara cati (2.6%). The most common protozoan parasites detected in feral cats were Isospora rivolta (16.9%) and I. felis (4.5%). The native mammals were predominately infected with unidentified nematodes of the order Strongylida (59.1%), with members of the orders Rhabditida, Spirurida and Oxyurida also common. Oxyuroid nematodes were most common in the rodents (47.9%) and western grey kangaroos (27.8%). Several species of Eimeria were detected in the marsupials whilst unidentified species of Entamoeba and coccidia were common in most of the native fauna. Primers anchored in the first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were used to develop a polymerase chain reaction-linked restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique to differentiate the species of Ancylostoma detected in feral cats. Amplification of the ITS+ region (ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S gene) followed by digestion with the endonuclease RsaI produced characteristic patterns for A. tubaeforme, A. ceylanicum and A. caninum, which were detected in 26.6%, 4.7% and 0% of feral cats respectively. Giardia was detected in a cat, dingo, quenda and two native rodents. Sequence analysis at the small subunit rDNA gene (SSU-rDNA) identified the cat and dingo as harbouring G.duodenalis infections belonging to the genetic assemblages A and D respectively. Subsequent analysis of the SSU-rDNA and elongation factor 1 alpha (ef1[alpha]) identified a novel species of Giardia occurring in the quenda. Attempts to genetically characterise the Giardia in the two native rodents were unsuccessful. Serological detection of Toxoplasma gondii was compared to a one tube hemi-nested PCR protocol to evaluate its sensitivity. PCR was comparable to serology in detecting T. gondii infections, although PCR was a much more definitive and robust technique than serology for large numbers of samples. Amplification of T. gondii DNA detected infections in 4.9% of feral cats and 6.5% of native mammals. The distribution of T. gondii does not appear to be restricted by environmental factors, which implies that vertical transmission is important for the persistence of T. gondii infections in Western Australia. These results demonstrate that cats carry a wide range of parasitic organisms, many of which may influence the survival and reproduction of native mammals. As such, the large-scale conservation and reintroduction of native fauna in Western Australia must not disregard the potential influence parasites can have on these populations.

A survey of gastro-intestinal parasites was conducted on faecal samples collected from 379 feral cats and 851 native fauna from 16 locations throughout Western Australia. The prevalence of each parasite species detected varied depending upon the sampling location. Common helminth parasites detected in feral cats included Ancylostoma spp. (29.8%), Oncicola pomatostomi (25.6%), Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (14%), Taenia taeniaeformis (4.7%), Physaloptera praeputialis (3.7%) and Toxocara cati (2.6%). The most common protozoan parasites detected in feral cats were Isospora rivolta (16.9%) and I. felis (4.5%). The native mammals were predominately infected with unidentified nematodes of the order Strongylida (59.1%), with members of the orders Rhabditida, Spirurida and Oxyurida also common. Oxyuroid nematodes were most common in the rodents (47.9%) and western grey kangaroos (27.8%). Several species of Eimeria were detected in the marsupials whilst unidentified species of Entamoeba and coccidia were common in most of the native fauna. Primers anchored in the first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were used to develop a polymerase chain reaction-linked restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique to differentiate the species of Ancylostoma detected in feral cats. Amplification of the ITS+ region (ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S gene) followed by digestion with the endonuclease RsaI produced characteristic patterns for A. tubaeforme, A. ceylanicum and A. caninum, which were detected in 26.6%, 4.7% and 0% of feral cats respectively. Giardia was detected in a cat, dingo, quenda and two native rodents. Sequence analysis at the small subunit rDNA gene (SSU-rDNA) identified the cat and dingo as harbouring G.duodenalis infections belonging to the genetic assemblages A and D respectively. Subsequent analysis of the SSU-rDNA and elongation factor 1 alpha (ef1[alpha]) identified a novel species of Giardia occurring in the quenda. Attempts to genetically characterise the Giardia in the two native rodents were unsuccessful. Serological detection of Toxoplasma gondii was compared to a one tube hemi-nested PCR protocol to evaluate its sensitivity. PCR was comparable to serology in detecting T. gondii infections, although PCR was a much more definitive and robust technique than serology for large numbers of samples. Amplification of T. gondii DNA detected infections in 4.9% of feral cats and 6.5% of native mammals. The distribution of T. gondii does not appear to be restricted by environmental factors, which implies that vertical transmission is important for the persistence of T. gondii infections in Western Australia. These results demonstrate that cats carry a wide range of parasitic organisms, many of which may influence the survival and reproduction of native mammals. As such, the large-scale conservation and reintroduction of native fauna in Western Australia must not disregard the potential influence parasites can have on these populations.

Introduced animals impact ecosystems due to predation, competition and disease transmission. The effect of introduced infectious disease on wildlife populations is particularly pronounced on islands where parasite populations are characterised by increased intensity, infra-community richness and prevalence (the “Island Syndrome”). This thesis studied parasite and bacterial pathogens of conservation and zoonotic importance in feral cats from two islands (Christmas Island, Dirk Hartog Island) and one mainland location (southwest Western Australia), and in black rats from Christmas Island. The general hypothesis tested was that Island Syndrome increases the risk of transmission of parasitic and bacterial diseases introduced/harboured by cats and rats to wildlife and human communities. To investigate the Island Syndrome, necropsies were performed on feral cats and black rats and the macro parasites identified were collected and quantified to ascertain parasite prevalence, infra-community richness and intensity. On Christmas Island, it was determined that 92% of feral cats and 84% of rats harboured helminth parasites with an infra-community richness of 0-6, and 0-7, species in cats and rats, respectively. A high intensity (number of individual parasites recovered per host) was observed for some parasite species. These findings demonstrated that three epidemiological characteristics (high prevalence, infra-community richness and intensity/abundance) conformed to the characteristics of the Island Syndrome. However, contrary to the Island Syndrome hypothesis, a high regional richness of parasites was observed on Christmas Island, with nine species of helminth recorded in cats and 10 species in rats). The parasite community characteristic observations were repeated on Dirk Hartog Island, which also exhibited the same three characteristics of Island Syndrome (high prevalence, infra-community richness and intensity/abundance), but where no difference in regional richness was observed compared with the mainland environment. Specifically, the overall prevalence was significantly higher (p≤0.01) on Dirk Hartog Island (100%) compared to southwest WA (79.6%), as was mean infra-community richness (p≤0.001) (3.61±1.41 on Dirk Hartog Island and 1.57±1.29 from southwest WA). For those parasite species occurring on Dirk Hartog Island and in southwest WA, the prevalence and abundance was found to be significantly higher on Dirk Hartog Island than the southwest WA (p≤0.019 and p≤0.003, respectively). These findings suggest that not all facets proposed by the Island Syndrome hypothesis apply to all island environments, particularly for parasite communities harboured by invasive species. Parasites of both zoonotic and conservation significance were detected in the cats and rats from both islands and from mainland Western Australia. Pathogenic bacteria of public health importance were identified; two species of Bartonella in rats (Bartonella phoceensis and an unidentified Bartonella species) on Christmas Island, two species Bartonella in cats (B. henselae and B. koehlerae) from southwest Western Australia, and Leptospira interrogans from both cats and rats on Christmas Island. The presence of Trypanosoma in cats and rats (from all three locations) and Leishmania (Christmas Island only) were investigated, with neither of these vector-borne protozoans identified at any of the locations. In summary, this thesis presents new data pertaining to parasite community structures in two invasive mammalian pest species of global importance following their introduction to islands, and the potential relationship between their parasite community structures and parasite biology, prevailing physiographic factors and faunal biology. The observations suggest that cats and rats are important in contributing to and maintaining artificially elevated parasite species’ richness within both insular and mainland environments. The findings also highlight potential threats that invasive animals pose with respect to disease transmission to susceptible ecological communities, in particular insular ecosystems, as reservoir hosts for parasitic and bacterial organisms.

LEISHMANIA INFANTUM INFECTION IN STRAY CATS IN A NON-ENDEMIC AREA IN NORTHERN ITALY E. Spada, DVM, PhD, Researcher 1, A. Della Pepa, DVM 1, A. Migliazzo, DVM, PhD 2, G. Bagnagatti De Giorgi, DVM 1, R. Perego, DVM, PhD 1, D. Proverbio, DVM, PhD, Professor 1 1Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie per la Salute, la Produzione Animale e la Sicurezza Alimentare, Universita degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy 2Centro di Referenza Nazionale per le Leishmaniosi,Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Palermo, Italy Tipologia: Ricerca Originale Area di interesse: Medicina interna Purpose of the work. To assess the prevalence of leishmaniosis in a large representative sample of stray cats from this non-endemic area, and to analyze the results according to clinical, laboratory and infectious data 2. MOLECULAR STUDY ON VECTOR-BORNE INFECTIONS IN URBAN STRAY COLONY CAT IN NORTHENRN ITALY Eva Spada§, DVM, PhD, Researcher Daniela Proverbio§, DVM, PhD, Professor Alessandra Della Pepa§, DVM Paola Galluzzo*, Biologist Roberta Perego§, DVM, PhD Giada Bagnagatti De Giorgi§, DVM Abstract Feline vector-borne diseases are caused by a wide range of pathogens, which are transmitted by arthropods. Many of these infections have zoonotic implications and feral cats may potentially act as sentinels of human and pet health. The present study investigated the prevalence of vector-borne infections in feral colony cats in the city of Milan in northern Italy. Blood samples from 260 feral cats were evaluated, with conventional PCR, for the presence of DNA associated with hemoplasmas (Mycoplasma haemofelis and Mycoplasma haemominutum), Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and Babesia microti. Odd ratios (OR) were calculated to identify risk factors for infection with vector-borne pathogens. Positive PCR was found in 156 out of 260 subjects (60%), with a prevalence of 33.1% for hemoplasmas, 31.9% for Rickettsia spp., 17.7% for A. phagocytophilum , 6.7% for Ehrlichia spp. (out of 30 samples), and 1.2% for B. microti spp (out of 168 samples). Statistical analysis revealed a correlation between infections with Rickettsia spp. and hemoplasmas (OR=1.95, P=0.02). Additionally, Rickettsia spp. infection was associated with ocular infection (OR=2.21, P=0.02). We conclude that vector-borne infections, including zoonotic diseases, are present in feral cats of Milan. Thus, domestic cats exposed to the outdoors should be routinely monitored and treated for ectoparasites to minimize disease onset and potential transmission of zoonotic agents to humans. Moreover, as these vector-borne infections are transmitted through blood, feline blood donors from this area should be screened by PCR.

Feral and fearful cats and kittens in animal shelters are not likely to be adopted as companion animals because they emit fearful or aggressive behaviors in the presence of humans. The purpose of the fearful to friendly (F2F) research was to investigate a shaping procedure to increase friendly behaviors of feral and fearful domestic cats and kittens with the goal of achieving animal shelters’ adoptability criteria. The results showed the F2F procedure was a safe and very effective procedure to quickly tame feral kittens deemed unadoptable. The day after implementing F2F, three out of four kittens approached me and accepted petting and holding without any additional training.

A survey of gastro-intestinal parasites was conducted on faecal samples collected from 379 feral cats and 851 native fauna from 16 locations throughout Western Australia. The prevalence of each parasite species detected varied depending upon the sampling location. Common helminth parasites detected in feral cats included Ancylostoma spp. (29.8%), Oncicola pomatostomi (25.6%), Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (14%), Taenia taeniaeformis (4.7%), Physaloptera praeputialis (3.7%) and Toxocara cati (2.6%). The most common protozoan parasites detected in feral cats were Isospora rivolta (16.9%) and I. felis (4.5%). The native mammals were predominately infected with unidentified nematodes of the order Strongylida (59.1%), with members of the orders Rhabditida, Spirurida and Oxyurida also common. Oxyuroid nematodes were most common in the rodents (47.9%) and western grey kangaroos (27.8%). Several species of Eimeria were detected in the marsupials whilst unidentified species of Entamoeba and coccidia were common in most of the native fauna. Primers anchored in the first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were used to develop a polymerase chain reaction-linked restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique to differentiate the species of Ancylostoma detected in feral cats. Amplification of the ITS+ region (ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S gene) followed by digestion with the endonuclease RsaI produced characteristic patterns for A. tubaeforme, A. ceylanicum and A. caninum, which were detected in 26.6%, 4.7% and 0% of feral cats respectively. Giardia was detected in a cat, dingo, quenda and two native rodents. Sequence analysis at the small subunit rDNA gene (SSU-rDNA) identified the cat and dingo as harbouring G.duodenalis infections belonging to the genetic assemblages A and D respectively. Subsequent analysis of the SSU-rDNA and elongation factor 1 alpha (ef1á) identified a novel species of Giardia occurring in the quenda. Attempts to genetically characterise the Giardia in the two native rodents were unsuccessful. Serological detection of Toxoplasma gondii was compared to a one tube hemi-nested PCR protocol to evaluate its sensitivity. PCR was comparable to serology in detecting T. gondii infections, although PCR was a much more definitive and robust technique than serology for large numbers of samples. Amplification of T. gondii DNA detected infections in 4.9% of feral cats and 6.5% of native mammals. The distribution of T. gondii does not appear to be restricted by environmental factors, which implies that vertical transmission is important for the persistence of T. gondii infections in Western Australia. These results demonstrate that cats carry a wide range of parasitic organisms, many of which may influence the survival and reproduction of native mammals. As such, the large-scale conservation and reintroduction of native fauna in Western Australia must not disregard the potential influence parasites can have on these populations.

Predation by exotic predators (cats Felis catus and foxes Vulpes vulpes) is believed to be one of the factors that has contributed to the decline of medium-sized mammals in arid Australia. Other factors include habitat degradation by introduced herbivores (rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus and grazing stock) and altered fire regimes after Aboriginal people moved into permanent settlements. In general, the impact of exotic predators on arid zone mammals is believed to be significant only when predator numbers have been elevated by increased food availability from exotic prey species (rabbits, house-mice Mus domesticus, cattle carcasses) or when native prey populations have already been dramatically reduced by competition from introduced herbivores. In much of the spinifex grasslands of the central Australian deserts, pastoralism never occurred, rabbit colonisation was extremely patchy and in some areas, traditional burning was still being practised when the extinctions commenced. None of the current models of mammalian extinctions adequately explain the declines in this environment. In this study I examined predator-prey interactions in two areas of the Tanami Desert to investigate whether predation by exotic predators may be a primary agent of extinction in its own right, capable of causing mass declines even in the absence of other human-induced perturbations. If this were the case then the following would be expected: (i) cats and foxes would eat medium-sized mammals when they are available, but be able to survive on alternative prey when mammals are scarce; (ii) populations of cats and foxes would be buffered against the declines of mammals during droughts, or would be able to recover more quickly than medium-sized mammals after droughts; (iii) medium-sized mammals would be more vulnerable to predation by cats and foxes than by dingoes Canis lupus dingo and other native predators, and (iv) there would be a correlation between the timings of the extinctions and the colonisation (or sudden increase) of cats and foxes. These predictions were investigated by monitoring the diets and relative abundance of cats, foxes and dingoes in relation to fluctuating prey availability in two areas of the Tanami Desert at latitudes separated by approximately 400 km. Mean annual rainfall is higher and more reliable in the northern study area which was situated in the centre of bilby Macrotis lagotis distribution within the Northern Territory, whereas the southern study area was located on the southern edge of the bilby�s range. Within each study area, monitoring occurred at three sites, approximately 20 km apart. Each site contained a sub-plot in each of two habitat types. Field work was conducted between September 1995 and December 1997. When the study began, the southern study area was experiencing drought conditions, however both study areas received significant rainfall in early 1997. The population dynamics of a variety of potential prey groups were monitored to examine their resilience during droughts, patterns of recolonisation after rainfall, and use of two habitat types: the ubiquitous sandplain, and the moister, nutrient enriched palaeodrainage habitat which is believed to have provided a refuge for medium-sized mammals during droughts. Native mammals were uncommon throughout the study period. Bilbies and macropods were significantly more abundant in the northern study area, and tended to occur more frequently in palaeodrainage habitat than sandplain. However, the palaeodrainage habitat did not appear to provide adequate refuge for the medium and large mammals during drought conditions in the southern study area, as they disappeared from the study sites altogether. Small mammals were significantly more abundant in the southern study area but densities remained low (less than 2% trap success) throughout the study, and showed little response to improved seasonal conditions. In contrast, the abundance and species richness of birds showed a marked increase following rainfall in the southern study area. Flocks of nomadic birds arrived within several months of drought-breaking rains, increasing the relative abundance of birds from 9.3 per km of transect in December 1996 to 49/km in July 1997. Reptiles were the most resilient prey group during the drought conditions. Both varanids and smaller reptiles were equally abundant in the wet and dry years and showed no difference in abundance between study areas. However, reptiles showed marked temperature-related patterns in activity, with many species becoming inactive in the winter months. A total of 142 cat scats, 126 fox scats and 75 dingo scats were analysed to investigate predator diets in the two study areas. Unlike cat, fox and dingo diets elsewhere in Australia (and the world), mammalian prey did not dominate. Reptile was the prey category that was most frequently consumed by cats and foxes in �summer� (October-April) and by dingoes throughout the year, and was identified as a �seasonal staple� prey type for all three predators in the Tanami Desert. When biomass of prey was taken into account, the varanids (predominantly the sand goanna Varanus gouldii) were the most important prey sustaining predators in the two study areas. Birds were an important part of the diets of cats and foxes in winter when reptiles were less active. Small mammals were consumed by cats and foxes throughout the study, in proportion to their field abundances. Invertebrates were a major component of the diets of foxes, representing 31% of prey items consumed. There was considerable overlap in the diets of the three predator species, but dingoes ate more medium (100-999 g) and large (greater than 1000 g) prey than cats and foxes did. The scarcity of medium-sized mammals in the study areas provided little opportunity to find evidence of predation events on such prey. However, bilby remains were found in two cat scats and one dingo scat in the northern study area, mulgara Dasycercus cristicauda remains occurred in several cat and fox scats from the southern study area, and there were fourteen occurrences of marsupial mole Notoryctes typhlops in predator scats during the study, primarily in fox scats. Elsewhere in Australia, there is ample evidence that cats and foxes regularly consume medium-sized mammalian prey (e.g. rabbits and ringtail possums Pseudocheirus peregrinus) when it is available. Overall cats were the most abundant eutherian predators in the two study areas, and they were significantly more abundant in the northern study area than the southern study area. Surveys revealed that cats can persist into droughts by feeding on reptilian prey. When the study commenced, cats occurred on five of the six sub-plots in the southern study area, despite six consecutive years of below-average rainfall. However, by the end of the first year, they could only be detected on one sub-plot. Recolonisation of the sites rapidly occurred after significant rainfall (260 mm in 2 months), when nomadic birds colonised the sites and provided a plentiful food source. Foxes also declined to very low densities during drought in the southern study area, but they had recolonised all sites by the winter of 1997. This coincided with the increase in abundance of birds, which became their most frequently consumed prey item. Overall, foxes were equally abundant in the two study areas, but statistical analyses revealed a significant interaction between latitude and habitat because in the southern study area foxes tended to utilise the palaeodrainage habitat more than the sandplain, whereas in the northern study area the majority of fox sign was detected in the sandplain habitat. This may have been due to the abundance of dingoes in the palaeodrainage habitat in the northern study area. Dingoes were significantly more abundant in the northern study area than the southern, where they were usually only present at one of the three sites. The northern study area had higher densities of macropods (supplementary prey for dingoes) and more reliable access to drinking water, which persisted in the palaeodrainage channels for up to 6 months after significant rain events. Dingo numbers were relatively stable throughout the study and did not increase in response to improved seasonal conditions in the southern study area in 1997. This study revealed that the distribution of foxes extends further north into the Tanami Desert than has previously been reported, and is not necessarily tied to the distribution of rabbits in the Northern Territory. Furthermore, discussion with Aboriginal people who lived a traditional lifestyle in the area until the 1940s, revealed that foxes were already present in the northern Tanami desert at that time, before the disappearance of many medium-sized mammal species. The patterns of medium-sized mammalian extinctions in the northern and western deserts between 1940 and 1960 is thus consistent with the colonisation of the fox. Although cats had been present in central Australia for at least 50 years before the mammalian declines occurred, this does not discount them from contributing to the extinction process. It is postulated that during the early decades of their colonisation of the arid interior, cat populations may have been maintained at low levels by predation from dingoes and also Aboriginal people (for whom cats were a favoured food). But between 1920 and 1960 the western deserts were depopulated of Aboriginal people, and human hunting of cats diminished. This coincided with the introduction of the dingo bounty scheme, which encouraged many Aboriginal people to continue making regular excursions into the deserts to collect dingo scalps. In this study, cat remains occurred in 9% of dingo scats, suggesting that dingoes may be an important predator of cats. Thus, there may have been an increase in the cat population between 1930 and 1960, producing a more significant impact on native mammal populations than had previously occurred. Information collected during this study was used to construct a new model of mammalian extinctions in the spinifex grasslands of central Australia that promotes predation by cats and foxes as the primary agent of extinction. The model proposes that cats and foxes will eat medium-sized mammals when they are available, but are capable of subsisting on naturally occurring alternative prey when mammals are scarce. Thus, cats and foxes can persist into drought periods by feeding on reptilian prey, which remains an abundant resource regardless of rainfall (at least during the warmer months). Predator populations eventually decline after a series of dry winters. When the drought breaks, the rapid response of nomadic birds provides a readily available food source for cats and foxes as they recolonise areas and commence breeding. Predation by cats and foxes thereby has the potential to exacerbate the declines of native prey populations during droughts and delay their recovery when seasonal conditions improve. In this way, introduced predators are capable of causing local extinctions of medium-sized mammals when populations contract during drought periods, even in the absence of introduced herbivores and altered fire regimes. Although dingoes also prey upon medium-sized mammals, dingoes did not cause extinctions of medium-sized mammals in the spinifex grasslands because (i) they are more reliant on drinking water than foxes and cats, thus waterless areas would have provided some degree of predation refugia, and (ii) their social structure and territoriality prevent high densities accumulating, even when resources are abundant. If further extinctions of medium-sized mammals (such as the bilby) are to be prevented, it may be necessary for wildlife managers to establish a series of predation refugia where fox and cat populations can be controlled without extinguishing local dingo populations. This could be achieved with a combination of predator-proof enclosures, zones in which foxes are killed through poison baiting and areas where Aboriginal people are employed to utilise traditional hunting methods to control introduced predators.

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária
O vírus da Leucemia Felina (FeLV) e o vírus da Imunodeficiência Felina (FIV) pertencem à família Retroviridae. São responsáveis por duas viroses que ameaçam a vida e o bem-estar do gato doméstico, e a conservação de felinos silvestres como o lince da Península Ibérica. O principal objetivo deste estudo epidemiológico foi detetar a presença do FIV e do FeLV em gatos residentes na ilha de São Miguel, Açores. A amostra foi constituída por 90 gatos selecionados em grupos de risco elevado ou com sinais clínicos compatíveis com estas viroses, maioritariamente gatos errantes (84,4%) e assilvestrados (11,1%) que foram capturados para serem esterilizados e integrarem programas de adoção ou de restituição ao habitat. Através do teste ELISA, ViraCHECKFIV para pesquisa de anticorpos, obtivemos uma prevalência real de 14,2% de FIV na nossa amostra. Com o teste ELISA, ViraCHECKFeLV para pesquisa de antigénio, obtivemos uma prevalência real de 0,6% de FeLV na nossa amostra. Esta é a primeira publicação científica que demonstra a presença destes vírus na população felina da ilha de São Miguel. O perfil do gato infetado com FIV na amostra investigada é um gato macho, inteiro, de condição de vida livre, com um comportamento agressivo ou nervoso, com um ou mais linfonodos superficiais hipertrofiados e com gengivo-estomatite. A discussão dos resultados é feita à luz das frequências de infecção de FIV e de FeLV detetadas noutras ilhas do globo. Finalmente propõem-se medidas de controlo e de prevenção para mitigar a incidência de FIV e de FeLV e para delimitar a dispersão geográfica destas viroses na ilha de São Miguel.
ABSTRACT - EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS AND FELINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS IN STRAY CATS AND FERAL CATS OF THE SÃO MIGUEL ISLAND, AZORES - The feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are two virus of the Retroviridae family. They are a major threat to the life and welfare of the domestic cat, and to the success of wildlife feline species conservation programs such as the Iberian lynx at the Iberian Peninsula. The main aim of this epidemiological study was to confirm the presence of FIV and FeLV in a sample of stray and feral cats of São Miguel Island in the archipelago of Azores. Ninety cats were sampled, mainly stray cats (84.4%) and feral cats (11.1%), during field operations of a trap, neuter and release or adoption program. The presence of FIV was confirmed by the ELISA test ViraCHECKFIV. The true prevalence obtained was 14.2%. The presence of FeLV was also confirmed by the ELISA test ViraCHECKFeLV. The true prevalence obtained was 0.6%. This is the first scientific communication of the presence of these viruses on the feline population of the island. The profile of the FIV infected cat is an intact male, free-roaming, with aggressive or nervous behavior, with one or more superficial lymph nodes hypertrophied and with signs of gingivostomatitis. The discussion is made by the light of the prevalence of FIV and FeLV reported on other islands in the world. Finally disease control and prevention measures are proposed to mitigate the incidence of FIV and FeLV and to restrict the geographical dispersion of these viruses in the island of São Miguel.

In einem 45 ha großen Untersuchungsgebiet in der Innenstadt von Berlin wurden von Februar 1996 bis Juni 1999 alle dort vorkommenden verwilderten Katzen erfaßt. Wir untersuchten Alter- und Geschlechtsverteilung, Populationsdichte und -stabilität, Reproduktions- und Mortalitätsraten, Gesundheitsstatus, Territorialverhalten, Ver- wandtschaftsbeziehungen und den Einfluß der Kastration auf das individuelle Verhal- ten der Katzen und die Entwicklung der Population. Insgesamt wurden 75 Tiere in- nerhalb von 42 Monaten beobachtet. Im Untersuchungsgebiet waren gleichzeitig je- weils 25-32 Tiere ansässig, außerdem wurden durchschnittlich 10 Durchzügler pro Jahr registriert. Die ansässigen Katzen lebten in 2 genetisch differenzierten Teilpopu- lationen. Unkastrierte Kater hatten größere Streifgebiete (20-66 ha) als kastrierte Ka- ter, kastrierte und unkastrierte Katzen sowie Jungtiere (0,5-7,5 ha). Die Mortalität der ansässigen Katzen betrug 25 % pro Jahr. Vakante Streifgebiete wurden durch eige- ne Nachkommen aufgefüllt. Die Anzahl unkastrierter adulter Kater im Untersu- chungsgebiet blieb über die gesamte Zeit konstant, Kastration und Tod von Deckka- tern wurde durch Einwanderung fremder Kater kompensiert. Nach Kastration aller weiblicher Katzen einer Teilpopulation sank die Populationsdichte trotz signifikant höherer Zuwanderung fremder Tiere.
In a 45 ha study area of Berlin city all cats were studied between February 1996 and June 1999. We investigated age and sex composition, population density and stabil- ity, rates of reproduction and mortality, health status, territorial behaviour, kinship re- lation, and the influence of neutering on individual behaviour and population devel- opment. Altogether we observed 75 cats within 42 months. 25 to 35 cats lived simul- taneously in the study area, additionally we found 10 transient animals per year on average. The resident cats lived in two genetically distinct subpopulations. Uncas- trated adult males had larger home ranges (20-66 ha) than castrated males, cas- trated and uncastrated females and subadult cats (0,5-7,5 ha). Mortality rate of resi- dent cats was 25 % per year. Vacancies were filled by own kittens. The number of uncastrated adult tomcats was constant throughout the study period, castration and death of stud males were compensated by immigration of unknown tomcats. After the castration of all females in one subpopulation population density declined, even though immigration of unknown cats increased significantly.

The house cat, Felis catus, was introduced into Australia with European settlement of the mainland. Since its initial introduction, it now occupies all mainland habitats, Tasmania and many smaller offshore islands. Large numbers of cats were released intentionally into the environment in a misguided attempt to control the spread of other introduced mammalian pests, especially the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus. The feral cat is an invasive predator that has been implicated in the decline and extinction of many species of native small mammals across Australia, particularly in the arid regions and on offshore islands. Much of the research on feral cats in Australia has occurred in the continent’s arid and semi-arid regions. Consequently, little is known about the ecology of feral cats in tall forests. Additionally, the most generally effective population control technique, poison baiting with sodium monofluoroacetate (compound 1080), has wide ranging applicability in arid and semi arid areas but its use is restricted in the temperate and forested eastern states of Australia due to concerns about impacts on non-target species. This thesis is divided into three parts. Firstly, I review the current knowledge of feral cats, particularly in relation to the actual and potential impact they have on native prey species. Secondly, I investigate the ecology of the feral cat in the temperate tall forests of Far East Gippsland, Victoria. The home range sizes, movement patterns and home range use of feral cats were determined. Thirdly, I examine a new technique for delivering poisons in a feral cat management program. The potential for all Australian non-target species to access the toxicant is examined using a desktop analysis, while field studies examine uptake by non-target species and the dynamics of prey species to determine acceptable times for baiting campaigns. GPS and VHF collars were utilised to obtain fix data for feral cats in Far East Gippsland. Male cats had significantly larger home ranges (MCP100 455 ± 126 ha) than females (105 ± 28 ha), with male home ranges overlapping those of females. Some female home ranges overlapped extensively, with neighbouring females also having overlapping core areas within their ranges. These overlaps in female home ranges, in particular of the core areas, indicate that female cats in Far East Gippsland are tolerant of other females and do not actively exclude them. Compared with the home ranges of feral cats in other regions of Australia and New Zealand, the cats in Far East Gippsland had smaller home ranges than those of cats occupying arid and alpine zones yet larger ranges than those of feral cats living in farmland or grassland. This variation probably reflects the availability of food resources, with cats in resource-poor areas requiring larger home ranges and cats with smaller home ranges generally inhabiting areas with greater, or more accessible, food resources. The use of GPS collars to obtain accurate and high volumes of location data allowed the intra-home range movements of feral cats to be examined in ways not previously possible using conventional VHF radio telemetry. Location data were gathered at three different temporal intervals – 6 hourly, hourly and every 15 minutes. Feral cats followed a Lévy walk-style searching pattern as they moved through their home range. Employing a Lévy walk increases the likelihood of encountering prey items that are distributed sparsely in the environment, in turn maximising the potential hunting return for effort expended. Each of the cats examined had large areas within their home range that they did not enter. To test the hypothesis that this resulted from a scarcity of prey in these areas, trapping grids were established to capture small prey-sized animals. There was no difference in the rate of capture of prey species in the areas of high and zero cat use, thus allowing the food hypothesis to be rejected. Modelling of abiotic environmental parameters was used to determine if these influence home range use. While the models explained much of the variation in the data, the global model was overdispersed, indicating that other unmeasured parameters were influencing home range use. The avoidance of these areas most likely arises from the presence of larger intraguild predators and subsequent employment of predator avoidance strategies by the cats. Managing the abundance of feral cats using poison baiting requires that bait be distributed at times when cats are food-stressed. Generally this occurs in winter when prey species are in natural decline. To determine the most appropriate time for baiting feral cats, trapping grids were established to assess the population demographics of feral cat prey species. The 2 046 trap nights undertaken resulted in 176 captures of five prey-sized species. The breeding periods for the Antechinus spp. occur earlier in Far East Gippsland than would generally be expected based on the latitude and altitude of the trap sites, and have bearing on the optimal time for poison baiting. Based on these findings, the optimal time to manage feral cat populations in Far East Gippsland through poison baiting is between late August and mid November provided that the toxicant is enclosed within a hard shell delivery vehicle (HSDV) that maintains structural integrity or, alternatively, if the baits are suspended above the ground surface and out of reach of lactating female antechinus. Further research is proposed to supplement these findings. Encapsulation of toxicants within an acid soluble HSDV which is then inserted into the bait media is being explored as a potential technique to minimise access of non-target species to the toxicant. A desktop analysis employing a decision tree process was used to examine the potential for non-target access to toxicant delivered in an HSDV. This analysis encompassed all non-aquatic vertebrate species in Australia. significantly fewer species would be susceptible to non-target poisoning if HSDVs were used when compared with directly injecting the toxicant into the bait media. Carnivorous mammals were the most likely to consume both the bait and the HSDV. Using the systemic marker, Rhodamine B (Rb), in the HSDV, the ability of five species of small to mid-sized animals to access toxicants enclosed in the HSDV. This was compared with directly injecting it into the baits. Rhodamine B staining was apparent in the mystacial vibrissae of four of the five species at sites where Rb was injected into the baits. It was also present in three of the four species captured at the sites where the Rb was encapsulated within the HSDV. The longevity of the HSDV within the bait media was tested and found to decreased rapidly following insertion into the bait. This is most likely due to the bait media being slightly acidic. Since that experiment concluded, changes have been made to the pH of baits to extend the integrity of the HSDV and hence reduce leakage. These key findings will allow managers to adopt a more targeted approach when undertaking cat control programs in these habitats. The use of GPS technology to obtain location data has allowed the analysis of intra-home range movements to an extent previously not possible with other techniques. This in turn will allow a more targeted approach to managing feral cats. The use of a decision tree approach to determining the susceptibility of non-target species during a baiting campaign can be applied to other poisoning campaigns regardless of the target species or the toxicant being used.

As células tronco mesenquimais derivadas do âmnio (AMSCs) são células multipotentes com alto potencial para se diferenciar em múltiplas linhagens. Podem ser isoladas sem recurso a procedimentos invasivos e usadas sem levantar quaisquer implicações éticas. O presente estudo visa isolar e caracterizar as células mesenquimais progenitoras da membrana amniótica de gatos domésticos para futura aplicação em terapia celular. As células foram isoladas de quatro membranas fetais, coletadas durante as campanhas rotineiras de castração em gatas no último terço de gestação, após anestesia geral. A porção dorsal do âmnio foi separada mecanicamente, lavada com PBS e submetida à digestão com colagenase. As células coletadas foram propagadas em cultivo (DMEN-F12/-MEM) e criopreservadas em várias passagens enquanto se efetuava a avaliação da cinética de crescimento e das características morfológicas. Em cultivo, as AMSCs demonstraram aderência à placa e uma morfologia similar a dos fibroblastos. A análise imunofenotípica revelou presença de marcadores específicos de MSCs CD73 e CD90 e ausência de marcadores hematopoiéticos CD34, CD45 e CD79 sugerindo a presença de células mesenquimais multipotentes na membrana amniótica de gatos domésticos. Em condições apropriadas, estas células diferenciaram-se em linhagens específicas osteogênica e adipogênica. Entretanto, após inoculação em camundongos imunodeficientes não foi registrado formação de teratomas. Estes achados sugerem que o âmnio de gatos domésticos pode ser considerado uma importante fonte de MSCs com maior atração para medicina regenerativa.
The amnion derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) are multipotent cells with a high ability to differentiate into multiple lineages. They can be obtained by non-invasive methods and therefore are exempt from the normal ethical problems involving stem cell use. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize the progenitor mesenchymal cells from the cat amniotic membrane for future application in cell therapy. The cells were isolated from four fetal membranes collected after a routine ovarian hysterectomy process from cats in their third gestational trimester, under general anesthesia. The dorsal portion of amnion was mechanically separated, washed with PBS and subjected to collagenase digestion. The isolated cells were propagated in culture media (DMEMF12 or -MEM) and frozen in various passages while the growing kinetics and cell morphology were analyzed. In culture medium, AMSCs were adherent to the plastic culture dish and had a morphology similar to fibroblasts. Immunophenotyping assays showed the presence of MSCs specific markers CD73 and CD90 and absence of hematopoietic markers CD34, CD45 and CD79 suggesting the presence of multipotent mesenchymal cells in the cat amniotic membrane. Under appropriate conditions, these cells differentiated into osteogenic and adipogenic cell lineages. Moreover, after injection into immunodeficient mice, no tumors were generated. These findings suggest that the cat amniotic membrane can be considered an important and useful source of MSCs for regenerative medicine.

Le chat haret est l’un des prédateurs invasifs les plus dommageables pour la biodiversité insulaire. Sa présence est associée à une perte de biodiversité sur l’ensemble des îles sur lesquelles il est établi, et où il constitue une menace pour de nombreuses espèces de vertébrés souvent endémiques et menacés. En Nouvelle-Calédonie des populations de chats harets sont présentes dans tous les milieux et habitats et l’étude de son écologie et de ses impacts sur la faune ont fait l’objet de ce travail de thèse. L’analyse du régime alimentaire sur 14 sites d’études représentatifs des 4 habitats majeurs a révélé un régime très diversifié et une forte prédation sur les vertébrés natifs et notamment sur le groupe des scinques, des roussettes et des pétrels. Parmi les 44 espèces de vertébrés retrouvées dans le régime alimentaire de ce prédateur invasif, la plupart sont endémiques et 20 listées comme menacées sur la liste rouge mondiale de l’UICN. Le suivi des déplacements d’individus équipés de colliers GPS au niveau d’une presqu’île abritant une importante colonie d’oiseaux marins, a permis de mettre en évidence de grands domaines vitaux pour les mâles, des domaines vitaux petits pour les femelles et des patrons de déplacements liés aux différentes étapes du cycle reproducteur des oiseaux marins. Ces éléments, couplés aux analyses de régime alimentaire suggèrent une prédation à une large échelle géographique, à la fois sur les adultes reproducteurs mais également sur les jeunes oiseaux proches de l’envol. Une opération expérimentale de contrôle d’une population de chats harets a été conduite sur cette presqu’île et a montré une faible durabilité des effets de la suppression des individus sur les densités observées et une rapide recolonisation du site. Les résultats de ce travail plaident pour la mise en place de mesures de limitation des impacts occasionnés et permettent en particulier de cibler les habitats de maquis et forêt humide comme prioritaires en matière de limitation des abondances
Feral cat (Felis catus) is one of the most successful and harmful invasive predator species for island biodiversity. The presence of this alien predator species generally lead to dramatic loss of native island biodiversity and represents a serious threat for numerous endemic and threatened species. Feral cats have invaded the whole New-Caledonian archipelago and all its habitats. In this study, we focused on the ecology and impacts of this invasive predator on the outstanding endemic fauna found in the different habitats of the exceptional New-Caledonia biodiversity hotspot. Feral cat diet analyses on 14 selected sites representing the 4 main natural habitats revealed a high diversified diet and high predation rates on native species particularly on squamates, flying foxes and petrels. Among the 44 vertebrates species found into the feral cat diet, 20 are IUCN red-listed threatened species. Cat movements of eleven feral cats fitted with GPS collars have been studied in a western coast Peninsula hosting an important seabird colony. Male cats showed large home ranges while female showed small home ranges. Feral cats exhibited important movements within the studied peninsula linked with the breeding cycles of seabirds. GPS data coupled with dietary informations suggested a predation that concerned both breeding adults and fledgings bird, and at a large geographic scale as some feral cats have their core home range distant to the colony (>3km). We evaluated the effects of a high level but intense cat control on this site that showed a low sustainability of feral cat culling and a rapid recolonization process. Our results are pleading for the future limitation of feral cat impacts and call to focus first abundance limitation measures on maquis mosaic and humid forest habitats This study also provided information on the spatial extent and intensity of future control measures in the special context of a large and highly invaded island

The resident feral cat (Felis catus) population on the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Howard College campus (HCC) in Durban, South Africa was studied from March 2004 to November 2005. This study was initiated as the HCC is an registered as an urban conservancy and so should be removing alien invasive flora and fauna and conserving the indigenous biodiversity of the campus. This research was undertaken to assist with recommendations for the control and management of feral cats on the HCe. A survey to determine public perceptions and opinions regarding the feral cats was conducted among various communities on the campus. Feral cats from the resident population on the HCC were trapped and fitted with radio-collars in order that their home range sizes and distribution could be determined. Monthly census counts were also carried out in an attempt to calculate population densities of the feral cats on campus, while data on behaviour patterns was collected opportunistically throughout the study period. The survey showed that two extreme views existed on campus regarding the presence of feral cats. The university is a registered conservancy which some feel is no place for this exotic species. However, it is also situated within an urban surrounding and there are some cat enthusiasts among the public who feel that resources should be provided for the feral cats, both nutritionally and financially. While many people were unaware that the feral cats were a cause for concern on the HCC, the majority concluded that a management policy needed to be adopted to control feral cat numbers. Most were against the suggestion of eradicating the cats and strongly agreed with the implementation of a university funded feral cat IV sterilising and feeding programme. Feeding the feral cats, however, needs to be stringently controlled. In this study, the availability of an abundance of food resources was shown to be the primary influencing factor for home range size, cat distribution and population densities. It also had an overriding effect on the feral cats' behaviour patterns and activity levels. Once these had been initially established, other factors such as human activity, reproductive status and gender then came into play. Distribution of the feral cats around campus was not homogenous, and densities differed according to areas on campus. Highest cat densities were recorded in those areas on the HCC where permanent cat feeding stations had been established (usually the developed areas on campus), while no feral cats were sighted in the Msinsi Nature Reserve, a natural bush area on campus were no food resources (other than prey species) is available. Home range sizes of the feral cats were relatively small with a considerable amount of overlap between and within the sexes. There were also no seasonal differences in range sizes and diurnal ranges were only marginally smaller than nocturnal range sIzes. In terms of behaviour, the HCC feral cats were generally inactive, with passive behaviour such as lying down and sitting being most often observed. Although hunting activity was very rarely witnessed, the combined effects of feral cats supported at high densities by supplemental feeding may exert predation pressures that could be detrimental to both local prey and predator populations. Little social interactions were observed by the cats on the HCC. Other studies show that competition is greatly reduced if food is available in abundance and there is no need for territorial disputes if both food and a potential mate are located in close proximity. In the present study, this also means that immigrating feral cats from surrounding neighbourhoods are tolerated; another factor contributing to the increase in feral cat numbers on the campus. These findings suggest that the feral cat population on the HCC is being maintained at higher population densities than would be expected and management initiatives are needed to control the feral cat population at a minimum density through a sterilising and low key feeding programme so that it is acceptable to all concerned parties. However, the decisions need to favour the status of the HCC as a conservancy in an urban area as well as consider the well-being of the students and staffmembers in a public place.
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

This study examined various aspects of the spatial ecology and diet of a mainland Tasmanian population of feral domestic cats, Felis catus, to provide data relevant to planning and implementing feral cat control programs. Radio telemetry was used to quantify home ranges in three cats, two males and one female. Home ranges were relatively small for wild living feral cats, mean range area being 125 ha for males and 35 hectares for females. Home range size varied seasonally in males but not in females. Increases in male home range area, unusual movements and changes in den use occurred in July and August indicating this to be the mating season. Male cats ranged widely in search of receptive females. Home range overlap varied extensively depending on sex and season. Inter-sexual overlap was extensive, all cats overlapped with at least one cat of the opposite sex. Intra-sexual overlap between males varied between the non-mating and mating season. Overlap was extensive in the non-mating season with adult males sharing core areas. However, overlap in the mating season was minimal and restricted to the edges of ranges. This suggested that seasonal territoriality occurred between the males in response to competition for a limited number of female cats. Feral cats exhibited habitat preferences favouring habitats which included at least some ground cover and avoiding habitat where ground cover was absent, even where prey was abundant. Patchy type habitats were the most utilised and was favoured for foraging activity. This reflected prey availability in those areas, and the cover which the habitat provides for hunting. Dense habitat was favoured for the location of den sites. The feral cats at Sandford were active throughout the period between dusk and dawn, while little activity occurred during the day. Distances travelled per hour were greatest at dawn and dusk, probably indicating that the (male) cats were moving to and from foraging areas as opposed to actively hunting. Hunting probably occurs throughout the night, as the main prey species were nocturnal not crepuscular. The diet of the feral cats at Sandford was dominated by introduced mammals, in particular rabbits. However, diet did not reflect prey availability. The occurrence of ~mall native mammals in the diet was not consistent with their apparent abundance in the study area. This indicated that cats may selectively prey on these species. The study concluded that the control of feral cat populations on a large scale in mainland Tasmania is not justifiable. However, selective control may be necessary and beneficial in special cases, such as to protect seabird rookeries and vulnerable or endangered populations of native animals.

Vegetation structure plays a pivotal role in predator-prey interactions, because it influences the effectiveness with which predators are able to detect, pursue or ambush their prey, and determines the opportunities for prey to avoid being exposed to predators. Therefore, changes in vegetation structure may alter the impacts of predation on populations of prey species. In recent decades, populations of small mammals have collapsed across much of the savannah biome of northern Australia. The causes of this decline are not known, but predation by feral cats, intensification of fire regimes, and intensified grazing by introduced herbivores have all been implicated as possible causes by correlative and circumstantial evidence. However, we do not understand the mechanisms by which these factors, alone or in combination, affect population size in small mammals. Without this mechanistic understanding it is difficult to prescribe management interventions that will protect small mammals from further declines and allow recovery. I investigated interactions between predation by feral cats and vegetation structure in a study area in the central Kimberley region of northwestern Australia, to test whether one effect of fire and grazing regimes is to amplify the impacts on small mammals of predation by feral cats. I addressed three specific objectives. First, I measured population density of cats differed in areas with contrasting fire and grazing regimes. The second objective was to test how the movements of individual cats were influenced by vegetation and habitat structure, and especially to show whether cats preferentially hunted in burnt or grazed areas. The third objective was to derive direct measures of kill rates of feral cats, to show how these were influenced by habitat characteristics. To determine cat density, I deployed six arrays of infrared cameras across the study area during 2012 and 2013. The arrays were allocated evenly to areas with and without large introduced herbivores, and ranged across areas with differing fire histories. Each array consisted of 15 or more cameras deployed for one month. All cats ‘captured’ on camera were individually identified, and density was estimated using spatially-explicit mark-recapture analyses. Density at all six arrays was generally similar (mean 0.18 cats per km2, with SE of 0.08). There was no significant difference in density between grazed and un-grazed arrays, despite a five-fold difference in small mammal abundance. These results demonstrate that cats occur at low density in the Kimberley compared to other parts of Australia, and that population density does not increase when small-mammal abundance increases in ungrazed areas. To investigate movement behaviour and fine-scale habitat selection by cats, I deployed GPS collars on 32 cats in landscapes with contrasting fire and grazing treatments, and used discrete-choice modelling in relation to detailed habitat measures to reveal the movement decisions that underlie habitat selection by individual cats. Cats selected areas with more open grass cover, heavily grazed areas, and areas close to standing water. Mild fire scars were avoided, but cats strongly selected for areas recently burnt by intense fires in habitats with high abundance of small mammals. Not only was this the strongest influence on movement decisions made by cats within their home ranges, but cats also predictably journeyed up to 15 km to temporarily exploit areas recently burnt at high intensity outside the borders of their home range. I deployed collar-borne video cameras on cats to record hunting events and to measure the effects of habitat on hunting success. In this way I obtained 98 hours of cat activity, during which 101 hunting events were observed. The success or failure of cats in killing prey at a hunting event was strongly affected by habitat. For hunting events in which prey were in a grass tussock or a rocky refuge, the kill rate was four times lower (18 %) than in open areas (76 %). That is, cats enjoyed higher hunting success in the habitat types that they preferred to enter. This research demonstrates how a relatively sparse population of cats can have major impacts on prey populations if disturbance regimes are not managed appropriately. In particular, cats respond well to the conditions created by intense fire and grazing, increase their hunting in such areas, and accomplish higher hunting success. Vegetation structure is pivotal to creating ideal landscapes for predators to hunt, or conversely, to providing refuges for prey to avoid predation. Intense fires are likely to become more prevalent with climate change, and this could increase the impacts of many species of small to medium sized predators. A useful broad principle to reduce the impacts of this predation could be to increase the spatial and temporal cover of ground vegetation wherever possible.

Feral cats (Felis catus) are considered one of the biggest threats to Australian wildlife and have contributed to the extinction of at least 25 small native mammals. In light of this the Australian Government has set a goal to cull 2 million feral cats by 2020. Feral cats can reach high densities in human-modified, urban areas in many parts of the world, in part due to resource provisioning by humans. Despite their high densities and potential impacts on native fauna, little is known of the ecology of free-living cats in highly modified areas in Australia. Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are also a significant pest in Australia and are frequently subject to control. There is evidence that feral cat populations and predation rates on small prey species increase when foxes are removed from local areas. Due to increases in peri-urban and urban fox populations, fox baiting programs are now being conducted in these modified environments in Australia. The effects of reduced fox numbers on cat populations in periurban and urban environments are currently unknown. This thesis investigates the ecology of free-living cats in modified environments in Australia. I examine the demographics, social organisation, home range, space use and competitive interactions of free-living cats in peri-urban habitats in Western Sydney, New South Wales. This study took place on the Hawkesbury campus of Western Sydney University in Richmond, New South Wales from May 2013 to September 2015.

A população de felinos domésticos (Felis silvetris catus) tem aumentado exponencialmente nas últimas décadas, ultrapassando a dos canídeos e tornando-se assim na espécie, de animais de estimação, mais numerosa. Por consequência, este crescimento leva a um aumento de felinos abandonados que se tornam assilvestrados e que exercem um grande impacto na população de animais selvagens, nomeadamente de aves, pequenos mamíferos, répteis e peixes (referir na discussão). Estes felinos passam a desempenhar um papel importante na transmissão de doenças zoonóticas com impacto na Saúde Pública. Tornou-se necessário implementar métodos de gestão e controlo populacional de felinos assilvestrados, nomeadamente, através de programas e Campanhas de Captura, Esterilização e Devolução à colónia (CED) tendo sempre em atenção o Bem-Estar Animal (BEA). Estas companhas previnem a reprodução descontrolada, reduzindo o número de nascimentos e por consequência a sobrepopulação, levando à diminuição do número de animais eutanasiados nos Centros de Recolha Oficial (CRO).
In the last decades, the population of cats as a pet, increased exponentially, exceeding the dog population, to become America’s most numerous pet. This growth in animal numbers, leads to an increase of abandoned cats, that can become feral. The rising number of wild cats, haves a great impact on the wildlife population, including birds, small mammals, reptiles and fish, furthermore having also an important role in the spread of diseases which may put public health at risk. It is necessary to implement measurements to manage feral cats’ colonies, like TNR programs (trap, neuter and return to the capture site) always keeping in mind the animal welfare. These programs prevent animal reproduction, reduces births and subsequent overpopulation, leading to decrease in numbers of animals in shelters and euthanized.

The principle objective of this study was to examine the potential impact of the Cat, Fox and dog on native species, in particular those that are prey of these predators, in native forests that are principally managed for the production of timber in south-east NSW. This was examined initially by investigating the relative effectiveness of four techniques for surveying the Cat, Fox and dog, viz:- (i) spotlighting, (ii) scat surveys, (iii) scent-station surveys; and (iv) hair-tube surveys. The results from the surveys provided information on: (i) the distribution of the Cat, Fox and dog in relation to roads, forest edges and remote forest environments; and (ii) the relative abundance of the Fox and dog in the region. The results from the surveys were also used to investigate habitat attributes that potentially influence the abundance of the Fox and dog in the region. The extent that the Cat, Fox and dog used habitat in the vicinity of roads and habitat away from roads also was investigated using hair-tubes and radiotracking techniques. Scat surveys provided information on the diet of the Fox and dog. Results from diet analyses and spotlight surveys were used to explore whether the Fox and dog were opportunistic or selective in their choice of prey. The relative risk of prey species to predation by the Fox and dog also was assessed. Finally, the data collected in this study provided an opportunity to explore the efficacy of poison-baiting for reducing the abundance of the Fox and dog in the region during the period of the study. v The study region was stratified using environmental domains (Richards et al. 1990) to place it in a broader environmental context and to identify the environmental variation within it. To provide a comparative basis for field research, the environmental domains were grouped into two areas, viz:- the coastal and escarpment area. Within each of the two areas 15 sites were identified for survey purposes. Spotlighting, scat collection, scent-stations and hair-tubes were found not to be equally effective for surveying the Cat, Fox and dog in the region. Spotlighting was found to be the least effective method for detecting these species. Scat surveys provided information on the distribution and relative abundance of the Fox and dog, but was ineffective for detecting the Cat. Hair-tubes detected the Cat and dog, but not the Fox, despite observations of the Fox close to hair-tubes. With the exception of data collected from scat surveys, statistical analyses were limited due to small sample sizes. As a consequence, some of the analyses are descriptive and should be considered as an exploratory investigation only. The dog was found to be equally abundant both in the coastal and the escarpment areas, and significantly more abundant and widespread than the Fox. The Fox was significantly more abundant in the coastal area. The abundance of the Fox and dog varied significantly between survey periods and there was significant variation in their abundance within each area. Following poison-baiting, the abundance of the Fox and dog decreased at sites where poison-baiting occurred. However, this was not statistically significant. Hair-tube surveys detected the Cat and dog on roads, in edge habitat (areas within 500 m of a road) and in areas more than 1.5 km from roads (or remote areas). The Fox was also detected in all three habitat types from scats and by observation. In addition, radio-tracking found that one Cat preferred habitat more than 500 m from roads. The remains of 29 mammal species were found in the scats of the Fox and dog during the study. Large mammal species (i.e., those with an adult body weight greater than 10 kg), and in particular the Swamp Wallaby, were the most common prey of the dog. Large mammals formed more than 50% of its diet. Correspondingly, these species were also found to be most at risk from predation by the dog. Medium-sized marrunal species (i.e., those with an adult body weight between 0.75-10 kg) formed approximately one-third of the diet of the dog. The remainder of the diet consisted of small mammal species (i.e., those with an adult body weight less than 0.75 kg). Small mammals were the most common prey of the Fox. The Dusky Antechinus, Brown Antechinus, Bush Rat and Black Rat each formed more than 5% of the diet of the Fox. These species were also found to be more at risk from predation by the Fox than large and medium-sized mammals. Approximately one-third of the diet of the Fox consisted of medium-sized mammals, in particular the Rabbit, closely followed by the Common Ringtail Possum. The extent to which the Fox and the dog were opportunistic or selective predators was not clear from this study. Overall, the most common large and medium-sized species in the diet<> of the dog and Fox also were relatively more abundant (e.g., the Swamp Wallaby, brushtail possums and Common Ringtail Possum). This suggested that the dog and Fox hunted these species in proportion to their abundance (i.e., opportunistically). However, this relationship was not always consistent. The abundance of the dog, rainfall, and time since logging were found to be significantly correlated with the abundance of the Fox in the region. A number of factors, such as resource partitioning of prey by the dog and Fox, potentially greater abundances of small mammals in drier forests, and relative ease of foraging by the Fox in recently logged and perhaps unlogged forests, may have partially explained these results. No habitat attributes were found to explain significantly the abundance of the dog in the region. The results from this study clearly indicate that the Cat, Fox and dog are widespread in the region and the Fox and dog are relatively abundant. The evidence from this study and other studies suggest that in forest environments most mammal species, with the exception of bats and some arboreal species, are potential prey for these predators. This may have consequences for the survival of native species, particularly Critical Weight Range (CWR) species (i.e., those with an adult body weight between 35-5500 g) and ground-dwelling mammals that are rare and/ or endangered, in these forests. As small mammals were found to be most at risk from predation by the Fox, it may be a greater threat to CWR species and species that are rare and/ or endangered. It is possible that high levels of predation by feral predators can suppress small populations to the extent that they cannot recover (i.e., predator-pit) and thus are more prone to extinction from stochastic events. In the absence of knowledge, such as the range of prey densities over which feral predators exert a regulatory role, endangered and naturally rare prey species may be able to persist in the presence of the Cat, Fox and dog provided that: (i) relatively dense understorey vegetation (i.e., their habitat) is maintained to provide refugia; and (ii) feral predator populations are effectively controlled to minimise their potential impact.

Feral cat management is the subject of debate in many countries due to conflicting ecological, ethical, economic, and social reasons. Perceptions and attitudes around the various possible feral cat management methods influence socially and politically acceptable management. While most of the recent research conducted on feral cat management has taken technical aspects into account, there is considerably less emphasis on how the social aspects may influence success. This thesis aims to compare global differences in feral cat management approaches, and to improve the understanding of how social factors influence attitudes around different feral cat management methods. The first objective was to investigate global attitudes towards feral cats by analysing international scientific literature around feral cat management with a focus on social perspectives. The literature review (chapter 2) presents global comparisons by providing insight into how feral cats are perceived by stakeholders in various countries, and what social factors influence these perceptions worldwide. The second objective of this thesis focused on analysing public attitudes towards feral cats and their management in both a regional and international context and determined the countries and groups that contributed greatly to the social media narrative around feral cats. In this portion of the study, Twitter data was used to distinguish the language used by differing groups in various countries to portray attitudes towards feral cats, as detailed in chapter 3. The final objective focused on determining the social factors that influence public attitudes and perceptions of methods used in feral cat management, and the social acceptability of these methods. A landholder questionnaire was used to assess the acceptance of several feral cat management methods on properties on Kangaroo Island, South Australia and near to the Grampians National Park region of western Victoria. It was found that gender, land use, previous knowledge of feral cat management methods, and location influenced the likelihood of participants to accept and use various feral cat management methods on their properties, as covered over chapters 4 and 5. This study highlights the importance of communication and information sharing in feral cat management, including knowledge about control tools, and demonstrates that education about feral cat impacts can increase support for management. It further suggests that feral cat management in any locality needs to consider the potential for regional differences that might stem from variations in culture and environment=. Feral cat management in any space requires investigation into the demographic and social factors that influence levels of support for particular interventions in an area, and that includes appealing to the public and engaging with the local community by interacting with them directly and educating while spreading awareness.
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, 2020

Alpha1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha1-PI) has been shown to be a useful marker of gastrointestinal protein loss in some species. The objectives of this study were, first, to develop and analytically validate an ELISA for the measurement of alpha1-PI in feces and serum from cats, and, second, to evaluate fecal alpha1-PI concentrations in healthy cats and cats with chronic gastrointestinal disease. The lower detection limits of the ELISA were 0.02 g/L for serum and 0.04 microgram/gram for feces. The observed-to-expected (O/E) ratios for serial dilutions of serum and fecal samples ranged from 100.0 to 129.7% (mean +/- SD: 112.2 +/- 9.9%) and 103.5 to 141.6% (115.6 +/- 12.8%), respectively. The O/E ratios for samples spiked with seven known concentrations of alpha1-PI ranged from 82.3 to 107.8% (94.7 +/- 7.6%) for serum and 78.5 to 148.7% (96.8 +/- 18.2%) for feces. The coefficients of variation for intra-assay and inter-assay variability were <7.9% and <12.1% for serum, and 5.3%, 11.8%, and 14.2% and 7.7%, 10.2%, and 20.4% for feces, respectively. Reference intervals were 0.6 to 1.4 g/L for serum and up to 1.6 microgram/g for feces. We conclude that this ELISA is sufficiently linear, accurate, precise, and reproducible. For the clinical evaluation, twenty cats with clinical signs of chronic gastrointestinal disease and 20 healthy control cats were enrolled. The diseased cats were grouped into two groups: mild to moderate idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Group A; n=8) and severe IBD or neoplastic disease (Group B; n=12), based on histopathology results of endoscopic biopsies. Fecal alpha1-PI concentrations and serum concentrations of total protein, albumin, globulin, cobalamin, folate, pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, and trypsin-like immunoreactivity were determined. Nineteen of the 20 diseased cats had increased fecal alpha1-PI concentrations, ranging from 1.9 to 233.6 microgram/g (normal range: <= 1.6 microgram/g). Fecal alpha1-PI concentrations were statistically significantly different between healthy cats and cats of Group A (median: 3.9 microgram/g, range: 1.3 to 9.2 microgram/g, P<0.001) or cats of Group B (median: 20.6 microgram/g, 4.3 to 233.6 microgram/g; P<0.001), and also between cats of Groups A and B (P<0.01). Hypoalbuminemia, hypoproteinemia, and hypocobalaminemia were detected in 88%, 83%, and 56% of the diseased cats, respectively. Our study suggests that increased fecal alpha1-PI concentrations in association with hypoalbuminemia may be a common finding in cats with IBD or GI neoplasia. Furthermore, alpha1-PI concentrations appear to be higher in cats with severe IBD or confirmed GI neoplasia when compared to cats with mild to moderate IBD.