The Wildcat That Lives in Me: A Review on Free-Roaming Cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) in Brazil, Focusing on Research Priorities, Management, and Their Impacts on Cat Welfare
Domestic cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) currently occupy the 38th place in the Global Invasive Species Database. Free-roaming cats potentially have broad-ranging impacts on wildlife, occupying most terrestrial environments globally as house pets, strays, or feral animals. In Australia, for ex...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Luana S. Gonçalves Daiana de Souza Machado Maria Eduarda Caçador Giovanne Ambrosio Ferreira Christopher R. Dickman Maria Camila Ceballos Fabio Prezoto Aline Cristina Sant’Anna |
| author_facet | Luana S. Gonçalves Daiana de Souza Machado Maria Eduarda Caçador Giovanne Ambrosio Ferreira Christopher R. Dickman Maria Camila Ceballos Fabio Prezoto Aline Cristina Sant’Anna |
| author_sort | Luana S. Gonçalves |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Domestic cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) currently occupy the 38th place in the Global Invasive Species Database. Free-roaming cats potentially have broad-ranging impacts on wildlife, occupying most terrestrial environments globally as house pets, strays, or feral animals. In Australia, for example, cats are responsible for the decline in many vertebrate populations and extinction of several native mammals. However, in Brazil, few studies have explored either direct impacts of predation on wildlife, or other indirect impacts, such as competition for resources, niche overlap, hybridization, and disease transmission. In this review, we summarize and discuss 34 original research reports, published between 2001 and 2020, on impacts of free-roaming cats in Brazil. We briefly contextualize the history of cat domestication and present that, in Brazil, more studies have focused on the potential of free-roaming cats to transmit disease than to exert impacts via predation or competition on wildlife. More studies were conducted in Brazilian mainland areas (<i>n</i> = 23)—notably in Atlantic Forest—than on islands (<i>n</i> = 11). The review highlights potential impacts of cats on wildlife. We also discuss how control management strategies can affect the welfare of domestic cats, identifying potential knowledge gaps as well as opportunities for future research. Finally, understanding risks of cat predation is necessary to inform future measures to mitigate impacts on wildlife, without neglecting cat welfare. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-532276d1e3c7432f8f7347642ea0ac21 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-532276d1e3c7432f8f7347642ea0ac212025-01-24T13:17:59ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-01-0115219010.3390/ani15020190The Wildcat That Lives in Me: A Review on Free-Roaming Cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) in Brazil, Focusing on Research Priorities, Management, and Their Impacts on Cat WelfareLuana S. Gonçalves0Daiana de Souza Machado1Maria Eduarda Caçador2Giovanne Ambrosio Ferreira3Christopher R. Dickman4Maria Camila Ceballos5Fabio Prezoto6Aline Cristina Sant’Anna7Graduate Program in Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Center for Studies in Ethology and Animal Welfare, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, BrazilGraduate Program in Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-030, BrazilGraduate Program in Biodiversity and Nature Conservation, Center for Studies in Ethology and Animal Welfare, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, BrazilAqualie Institute, Juiz de Fora 36036-330, BrazilSchool of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, AustraliaFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6, CanadaDepartment of Zoology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, BrazilFaculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Animal Science, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal Campus, São Paulo 14884-900, BrazilDomestic cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) currently occupy the 38th place in the Global Invasive Species Database. Free-roaming cats potentially have broad-ranging impacts on wildlife, occupying most terrestrial environments globally as house pets, strays, or feral animals. In Australia, for example, cats are responsible for the decline in many vertebrate populations and extinction of several native mammals. However, in Brazil, few studies have explored either direct impacts of predation on wildlife, or other indirect impacts, such as competition for resources, niche overlap, hybridization, and disease transmission. In this review, we summarize and discuss 34 original research reports, published between 2001 and 2020, on impacts of free-roaming cats in Brazil. We briefly contextualize the history of cat domestication and present that, in Brazil, more studies have focused on the potential of free-roaming cats to transmit disease than to exert impacts via predation or competition on wildlife. More studies were conducted in Brazilian mainland areas (<i>n</i> = 23)—notably in Atlantic Forest—than on islands (<i>n</i> = 11). The review highlights potential impacts of cats on wildlife. We also discuss how control management strategies can affect the welfare of domestic cats, identifying potential knowledge gaps as well as opportunities for future research. Finally, understanding risks of cat predation is necessary to inform future measures to mitigate impacts on wildlife, without neglecting cat welfare.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/190biodiversitybehaviordomestic catsinvasive speciesanimal welfare |
| spellingShingle | Luana S. Gonçalves Daiana de Souza Machado Maria Eduarda Caçador Giovanne Ambrosio Ferreira Christopher R. Dickman Maria Camila Ceballos Fabio Prezoto Aline Cristina Sant’Anna The Wildcat That Lives in Me: A Review on Free-Roaming Cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) in Brazil, Focusing on Research Priorities, Management, and Their Impacts on Cat Welfare Animals biodiversity behavior domestic cats invasive species animal welfare |
| title | The Wildcat That Lives in Me: A Review on Free-Roaming Cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) in Brazil, Focusing on Research Priorities, Management, and Their Impacts on Cat Welfare |
| title_full | The Wildcat That Lives in Me: A Review on Free-Roaming Cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) in Brazil, Focusing on Research Priorities, Management, and Their Impacts on Cat Welfare |
| title_fullStr | The Wildcat That Lives in Me: A Review on Free-Roaming Cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) in Brazil, Focusing on Research Priorities, Management, and Their Impacts on Cat Welfare |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Wildcat That Lives in Me: A Review on Free-Roaming Cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) in Brazil, Focusing on Research Priorities, Management, and Their Impacts on Cat Welfare |
| title_short | The Wildcat That Lives in Me: A Review on Free-Roaming Cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) in Brazil, Focusing on Research Priorities, Management, and Their Impacts on Cat Welfare |
| title_sort | wildcat that lives in me a review on free roaming cats i felis catus i in brazil focusing on research priorities management and their impacts on cat welfare |
| topic | biodiversity behavior domestic cats invasive species animal welfare |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/190 |
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