Cat catched on camera at a Black Parrot nest site

from www.sif.sc/ 

A cat captured on camera at a Black Parrot nest site © SIF

Predation by invasive alien species has again proven to be a major problem for the black parrot during this breeding season. Through camera traps set up at a nest in Fond Peper, the team have observed cats climbing trunks and removing chicks from a nest. Eggs have also disappeared or been found broken in the nest which is probably due to rat predation. The team will keep monitoring the nests and the birds until the end of the season in March, and we look forward to reporting our first Black Parrot fledgling!

To eradicate feral cats, we need to know how many are out there

From https://theconversation.com/

During a speech in Parliament on October 17 1996 — 18 years ago today — then Liberal MP Richard Evans called for the “total eradication of domestic and feral cats from the Australian mainland and offshore islands by the year 2020”.

Similarly, Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt last week announced a 10-year plan to eradicate “all of the significant populations of feral cats around Australia”.

A feral cat in the bush. Tim Doherty,

There has also been a lot of media recently about feral cats in Australia, including: Radio National’s Background Briefing, ABC Online, the Sydney Morning Herald, Radio National’s Bush Telegraph and The Australian

It’s great that the national conversation is gaining momentum on this issue. Australia has lost 30 mammal species to extinction in just over 200 years, which is the worst mammal extinction record anywhere in the world. According to Professor John Woinarski at Charles Darwin University, at least 20 of these can be attributed to cats.

A recent wave of mammal declines in parts of northern Australia, such as Kakadu National Park, has sparked a renewed call for action on feral cats.

But how many cats are out there? If we look at the evidence, we really don’t know.

Stray Dogs in Houston

Belling the cat

After reviewing the available articles considering the effect of bells on feline hunting behaviour, we found a big difference between results of surveys considering cats wearing bells previously to the study and studies where cats were experimentally provided with bells.

Surveys show that bells have little effect on predatory behaviour. After one study, 33% of pet cats wore a bell in UK. Cats wearing a bell hunted fewer mammals than un-belled ones, but there was no difference for birds and herps; probably birds rely more on visual cues than mammals, but maybe skilled cats wear bells more frequently than the rest (Woods et al. 2003). Paton (1991) relying on respondents' memory, found that belling cats has no incidence in the number of preys brought home. In Australia, Reark (1994) found that belled cats hunted more than un-belled ones, but there were not data on how much did they use to hunt before wearing a bell. Barrat (1998) did not find any difference between cats wearing bells or not. In New Zealand, Morgan et al. (2009) got similar results. Hansen (2010) also found no evidence of effect of bells on predation. Comparing sites where belling is compulsory and sites without obligation, no positive correlation was found between small mammal abundance and regulations (Lilith et al., 2010).

Experimental studies where cats were equipped with bells show a decrease between 30 and 50% in the number of preys (Ruxton et al., 2002; Nelson et al., 2005; Gordon et al., 2010). Nevertheless, those studies were, probably, too short (4-8 weeks) to allow cats to learn how to silently stalk their prey. Electronic devices tend to be more effective than bells anone, but are no exempt of problems (Clark & Burton, 1998; Clark, 1999; Nelson et al., 2005). Other devices were more effective, reducing up to 80% the number of preys, but the period was also short (3 weeks) (Calver et al., 2007).

Bright coloured collars seem to be very effective to warn birds on the approaching cat: collared cats kill as much as 19 times less than uncollared animals (Willson et al., 2015), and this could be independent of the cat's skills.

There is a need of longer term studies to better understand the whether

- the effect observed in experimental studies is due to the lack of training, and cats wearing a bell for a longer time will improve their chances

- the lack of effect in surveys is due to a potential bias towards skilled cats wearing bells more frequently that less capable ones.

In defense of TNR

Schmidt, R. H. Cat Fight! The TNR Wars. 2012. Proc. 25th Vertebr. Pest Conf. (R. M. Timm, Ed.) Published at Univ. of Calif., Davis. 2012. Pp. 89-94.

Although trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs for feral cats are in use or being proposed in many communities, a number of non-governmental organizations have gone on record as being opposed to them. For example, The Wildlife Society’s (TWS) policy statement on feral cats (2011) includes a comment that TWS “Oppose the passage of any local or state ordinances that legalize the maintenance of “managed” (trap/neuter/release) free-ranging cat colonies.” Similarly, the American Bird Conservancy’s (ABC) resolution on free-roaming cats (feral and tamed) states that ABC “strongly opposes managed free-roaming cat colonies.” Wildlife managers often lament the loss of tools and techniques (e.g., traps, pesticides, regulatory authority) for managing “nuisance” animals. The attack against TNR programs is indicative of an active program to eliminate a management tool. Is the negativity toward TNR justified? Stated another way, do the negative aspects of TNR programs outweight any possitive elements? I argue that the complete rejection of TNR is premature, erroneous, and without merit.

Novel cat collar to reduce avian mortality

Willson, S. K., Okunlola, I. A., & Novak, J. A. (2015). Birds be safe: Can a novel cat collar reduce avian mortality by domestic cats (Felis catus)?. Global Ecology and Conservation.

The domestic cat (Felis catus) has been described as the largest anthropogenic threat to songbird populations in North America. We examined the effectiveness of a novel cat collar in reducing avian and small mammal mortality by cats. The 2-inch wide Birdsbesafe® collar cover (CC) is worn over a nylon quick-release collar, and the bright colors and patterns of the CC are hypothesized to warn birds of approaching cats. We conducted two seasonal trials, each lasting 12 weeks, in autumn 2013 (n=54 cats) and spring 2014 (n=19 cats). Cats were randomly assigned to two groups, and CCs with interior collars were removed or put on every two weeks, to control for weather fluctuations and seasonal change. Cats wearing Birdsbesafe® CCs killed 19 times fewer birds than uncollared cats in the spring trial, and 3.4 times fewer birds in the fall. Birdsbesafe® CCs were extremely effective at reducing predation on birds. Small mammal data were less clear, but did decrease predation by half in the fall. The Birdsbesafe® CC is a highly effective device for decreasing bird predation, especially in the spring season. We suggest that the CCs be used as a conservation tool for owned as well as feral cats.

Costs analysis of a population level rabies control programme in India

Abbas SS, Kakkar M, Rogawski ET, on behalf of the Roadmap to Combat Zoonoses in India (RCZI) initiative (2014) Costs Analysis of a Population Level Rabies Control Programme in Tamil Nadu, India. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 8(2): e2721. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002721

The study aimed to determine costs to the state government of implementing different interventions for controlling rabies among the entire human and animal populations of Tamil Nadu. This built upon an earlier assessment of Tamil Nadu's efforts to control rabies. Anti-rabies vaccines were made available at all health facilities. Costs were estimated for five different combinations of animal and human interventions using an activity-based costing approach from the provider perspective. Disease and population data were sourced from the state surveillance data, human census and livestock census. Program costs were extrapolated from official documents. All capital costs were depreciated to estimate annualized costs. All costs were inflated to 2012 Rupees. Sensitivity analysis was conducted across all major cost centres to assess their relative impact on program costs. It was found that the annual costs of providing Anti-rabies vaccine alone and in combination with Immunoglobulins was $0.7 million (Rs 36 million) and $2.2 million (Rs 119 million), respectively. For animal sector interventions, the annualised costs of rolling out surgical sterilisation-immunization, injectable immunization and oral immunizations were estimated to be $ 44 million (Rs 2,350 million), $23 million (Rs 1,230 million) and $ 11 million (Rs 590 million), respectively. Dog bite incidence, health systems coverage and cost of rabies biologicals were found to be important drivers of costs for human interventions. For the animal sector interventions, the size of dog catching team, dog population and vaccine costs were found to be driving the costs. Rabies control in Tamil Nadu seems a costly proposition the way it is currently structured. Policy makers in Tamil Nadu and other similar settings should consider the long-term financial sustainability before embarking upon a state or nation-wide rabies control programme.

Prevalence of parasites in indoor and outdoor cats on St. Kitts

Ketzis, J. K., Shell, L., Chinault, S., Pemberton, C., & Pereira, M. M. (2015). The prevalence of Trichuris spp. infection in indoor and outdoor cats on St. Kitts. The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries, 9(01), 111-113.

Introduction: The present study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of Trichuris spp. and other intestinal parasitic infections in owned cats on St. Kitts.
Methodology: The feces of 41 non-feral cats (23 indoor only; 18 indoor/outdoor) were examined for the presence of Trichuris spp. eggs.
Results: Nine (22%) of the cats were positive for Trichuris spp. Prevalence of trichuriasis in indoor cats was 26.0% as compared to 16.7% in outdoor cats. Other parasites identified included Ancylostoma spp. (10%; 4 cats), Toxocara cati (2%; 1 cat), Platynosomum spp. (22%; 9 cats), Mammomonogamus spp. (2%; 1 cat) and coccidia (7%; 3 cats).
Conclusion: On St. Kitts, indoor cats are as likely to have parasite infections as outdoor cats. Given the zoonotic potential of some of the identified parasites, periodical anthelmintic treatment should be provided to both indoor and outdoor cats.

Parasites in stray and owned dogs in Algiers

Naouelle, A., Petit, E., Gandoin, C., Bouillin, C., Ghalmi, F., Haddad, N., & Boulouis, H. J. (2015). Prevalence of select vector-borne pathogens in stray and client-owned dogs from Algiers. Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Data on the prevalence of vector-borne diseases agents infecting canines in Algeria is currently lacking. The purpose of this study is to assess by serological and molecular methods the prevalence of select arthropod borne-bacterial infections in client-owned and stray dogs. Antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum were the most prevalent at 47.7%, followed by Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. at 37.6%, Ehrlichia canis at 30.0%, Bartonella henselae at 32.4% and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii at 27%. Seroprevalence was statistically significantly higher in stray dogs than those owned by clients. Seropositivity was not associated with health status, except for Ehrlichia canis. Molecular evaluation indicates that 17.8% of the 213 analysed dogs were positive for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma with a prevalence of 4.2% for Ehrlichia canis, 14.1% for Anaplama platys and 0% for A. phagocytophilum. Seven (7.1%) of the tested dogs were positive for Bartonella spp. with two characterized as Bartonella rochalimae, four as B. henselae and one as B. v. subsp. berkhoffii.

Garbage dumps and rabies in Cameroon

Raymond, T. N., Roland, M. E., Francoise, K. F. M., Francis, Z., Livo, E. F., & Clovis, S. T. (2015). Do open garbage dumps play a role in canine rabies transmission in Biyem-Assi health district in Cameroon?. Infection Ecology & Epidemiology, 5.

Background: Rabies is a neglected enzootic disease which represents a serious public health problem. In Cameroon, efforts to prevent human deaths caused by rabies are often thwarted by the lack of community awareness. The community knowledge, as well as attitudes and perception on rabies, is therefore important for both prevention of human deaths and control in animals.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the level of community knowledge as well as the role of open garbage dumps (OGDs) in the epidemiology of human rabies. Overall 420 heads of household were interviewed in the Biyem-Assi health district of Yaoundé. OGDs were identified through a systematic check, and household wastes they contained were characterized.

Results: Although 66.9% of respondents have knowledge on stray dogs, only 35% of respondents knew the role of OGDs in the increase of stray dog population. Overall OGDs consisted of fermentable wastes. Nutrition places for stray dogs were wild garbage dumps (68.1%), markets (18.3%), and houses (13.6%). The feeding behavior of stray dogs correlated significantly with the human rabies transmission (χ²=154.12, df=4, p<0.05).

Conclusion: Most participants knew that rabies could be transmitted by a dog bite as well as the measures to be taken in this type of situation. Increased knowledge of respondents on rabies showed OGDs and stray dogs as significant risk factors for canine rabies in Biyem-Assi health district.

Gastro intestinal parasites in Stray dogs in Ethiopia

Gugsa, G., Hailu, T., Kalayou, S., Abebe, N., & Hagos, Y. (2015). Prevalence and Worm Burdens of Gastro-Intestinal Parasites in Stray Dogs of Mekelle City, Tigray, Ethiopia. American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 15 (1): 08-15

Stray dogs (Canis familiaris) are ownerless native dogs of mostly non descriptive nature which roam
freely without human supervision and gastrointestinal parasites are common pathogens in these dogs and some are reservoirs of parasitic infections of humans. A study on gastrointestinal parasites of free roaming dogs was conducted from November 2009 to April 2010 with the objective of determining the prevalence and intensity of GI parasites of stray dogs and documenting the helminth biodiversity of stray dogs so as to provide baseline information on GI parasites infection of stray dogs on a local scale in Mekelle city. A total of 11 stray dogs were captured and euthanized. Necropsy finding was done and the contents of their alimentary canal were inspected. Statistical tests were performed using SPSS 15.0 windows version. The necropsy finding revealed that 72.72% free roaming dogs were found to be harborcestodes, nematodes and mixed infections. Five species of cestodes and two species of nematodes were found to be adult worms in their respective hosts. The highest parasite burdens (72.72%) were found for S. lupi and D. caninum and the lowest parasite burden was recorded for T. serrata (9.1%). The sex of the euthanized dogs had a significant difference in the prevalence of GI helminthes in the two sexes (p<0.05). Female dogs (100%) were found to be more likely infected by gastrointestinal helminthes than male dogs (62.5%). From the whole gastrointestinal parasites, the highest and lowest mean worm burdens were seen for S. lupi (9.13) and T. serrata (1), respectively. Of these reported parasites some of them have public health importance but dogs harbouring the parasites are living freely and friendly with the public. Hence, there should be a practice of regularand appropriate stray dogs control and health management of owned dogs. In addition, further epidemiological studies should be conducted to investigate the rate of seasonal infection and the level of environmental contamination

Feral cat virus infection prevalence, survival, population density, and multi-scale habitat use in an exurban landscape

Normand, C. M. (2014). Feral cat virus infection prevalence, survival, population density, and multi-scale habitat use in an exurban landscape (Doctoral dissertation, ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY).

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are ubiquitous in natural and anthropogenically modified ecosystems and they negatively impact their environments. Prior research into feral cat ecology in the U.S. has focused primarily on feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) prevalence, spatial organization, and home ranges of cats in urban and rural areas, but information concerning habitat use or exurban feral cat populations is sparse. The purpose of my research is to investigate feral cat virus infection prevalence; survival; population density; and macro- and microhabitat use in exurban Russellville, Arkansas. During October 2012 – August 2013, I captured 93 feral cats and collected blood from each individual for FeLV/FIV testing. I also fit mortality sensing radiocollars on 29 adult cats and conducted radiotelemetry over 65 weeks to determine survival, home range sizes, and to identify summer daytime resting sites (DRSs). I used multivariate analyses to determine 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order habitat use. The combined FeLV and FIV prevalence was 29.02% and I estimated annual feral cat survival as 0.99 with male cats having a greater survival rate than females. In general, annual home range areas (15.17 - 19.76ha) were larger than warm season (9.03 - 15.33ha), but not different from cold season ranges (11.09 - 23.91ha). Home ranges were larger than core areas (2.97 - 5.09ha) for all seasons. Male cat home ranges (22.14 - 29.17ha) were larger than female ranges (9.60 - 12.26ha), but virus status and body condition score did not influence range sizes. Feral cat population density within Russellville was 0.10cats/ha. Second and 3rd order habitat use analyses indicated feral cats used open-low and medium-high intensity development disproportionately to land cover availability and 4 th order analysis identified thick vegetation within these land cover types as the most frequently used DRSs. Although feral cat population density is relatively low, high virus infection prevalence, high annual survival, and large home ranges imply cats have the potential for substantial influence on the community. These results suggest that the city of Russellville would benefit from the development of a feral cat management plan, which would require long-term, intensive efforts

Methods to estimate abundance and rabies vaccination coverage in Bhutan

Tenzin, T., McKenzie, J. S., Vanderstichel, R., Rai, B. D., Rinzin, K., Tshering, Y., Pemd, R., Tsheringf, C., Dahala, N., Dukpaa, K., Dorjeed, S., Wangchukh, S., Jollyb, P.D., Morrisi, R. & Ward, M. P. (2015). Comparison of mark-resight methods to estimate abundance and rabies vaccination coverage of free-roaming dogs in two urban areas of south Bhutan. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. Preventive Veterinary Medicine

In Bhutan, Capture-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (CNVR) programs have been implemented to manage the dog population and control rabies, but no detailed evaluation has been done to assess their coverage and impact. We compared estimates of the dog population using three analytical methods: Lincoln-Petersen index, the Chapman estimate, and the logit-normal mixed effects model, and a varying number of count periods at different times of the day to recommend a protocol for applying the mark-resight framework to estimate free-roaming dog population abundance. We assessed the coverage of the CNVR program by estimating the proportion of dogs that were ear-notched and visually scored the health and skin condition of free-roaming dogs in Gelephu and Phuentsholing towns in south Bhutan, bordering India, in September–October 2012.

The estimated free-roaming dog population in Gelephu using the Lincoln-Petersen index and Chapman estimates ranged from 612 to 672 and 614 to 671, respectively, while the logit-normal mixed effects model estimate based on the combined two count events was 641 (95% CI: 603-682). In Phuentsholing the Lincoln-Petersen index and Chapman estimates ranged from 525 to 583 and 524 to 582, respectively, while the logit-normal mixed effects model estimate based on the combined four count events was 555 (95% CI: 526-587). The total number of dogs counted was significantly associated with the time of day (AM versus PM; P = 0.007), with a 17% improvement in dog sightings during the morning counting events. We recommend to conduct a morning marking followed by one count event the next morning and estimate population size by applying the Lincoln-Peterson corrected Chapman method or conduct two morning count events and apply the logit-normal mixed model to estimate population size.

The estimated proportion of vaccinated free-roaming dogs was 56% (95% CI: 52–61%) and 58% (95% CI: 53–62%) in Gelephu and Phuentsholing, respectively. Given coverage in many neighbourhoods was below the recommended threshold of 70%, we recommend conducting an annual “mass dog vaccination only” campaign in southern Bhutan to create an immune buffer in this high rabies-risk area. The male-to-female dog ratio was 1.34:1 in Gelephu and 1.27:1 in Pheuntsholing.

Population size estimates using mark-resight surveys has provided useful baseline data for understanding the population dynamics of dogs at the study sites. Mark–resight surveys provide useful information for designing and managing the logistics of dog vaccination or CNVR programs, assessing vaccination coverage, and for evaluating the impact of neutering programs on the size and structure of dog populations over time.

Free ranging and stray dog population in Omsk

Makenov, M. T., & Kassalb, B. Y. (2014). Study of Free-Ranging and Stray Dog Population in Omsk. Journal of Siberian Federal University. Biology, 1(7), 87-98.

The characteristics of free-ranging and stray dog population in Omsk City (Russia) were examined. The first section contains estimates of the population density in different urban areas. The average population density is 69 animals/km². Section 2 shows the sex ratio in dog population. The predominance of male over females has been registered with the overall sex ratio (male/female) equal 1:0,79. The section 3 characterizes the litter size for stray dogs. The average litter size is 4,3 pups per female.

Correlation between coat colour and behaviour in semi-feral cats

Datta, J. (2014). Correlation between coat colour and behaviour in semi-feral cats. Science and Culture, 80(9/10), 283-286.

Correlation of coat colour and certain behavioural patterns has been studied in 192 semi-feral cats. Of the 5 different categories of coat colour namely, (1) pure black, (2) pure white, (3) black and white, (4) white and yellow, (5) white, yellow and black, the first (pure black) was the wildest (most shy) while category 2 (pure white) was the most tameable. However, pure black once tamed (forcefully), behave rather like a "one man's dog" owing allegiance to the master only and avoiding members of his/her family. Furthermore both category (1) and (2), each comprising only 4% of the total population are basically loners. The majority (49%) of the cats belongs to category (3) (black and white) and these cats are tameable and social among themselves. Categories (4) (white and yellow) and (5) (white, yellow and black) comprise 22% and 21%, respectively of the cat population. Only category 4 (white and yellow) shows reaction with family members of the person who feeds, but these cats are basically aggressive; they direct their aggressiveness even to the person who feeds, if they are disturbed while feeding. Ethological implications of the findings have been discussed.