Kamieniak, J., Mazurkiewicz, T., & Tietze, M. (2016). The feral cats as a factor threatening the global biodiversity. Życie Weterynaryjne, 91(2), 96-98.
The following article is a concise presentation of the domestic cat as a predator, which lives in close proximity to humans and has the ability to self-manage in different environments. The authors refer to a significant real global problem which is the growing number of homeless and feral cats. These animals represent a serious threat to biodiversity in areas where their number is still growing. Numerous studies on this issue show a significant decrease of certain small mammals and birds population size, since they are often the prey target for feral cats. This problem is especially important when endangered species, protected by law, are considered. Cats, which have become independent from human care function well in the environments where they were previously absent. Cats living in the wild, but near human households, pose also health risk for humans and other animal species, as carriers of zoonotic infectious agents. There are various approaches to solve the problem of feral cats, but they are often opposed by the public opinion.
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