Beliefs and Attitudes of Residents in Queensland, Australia, about Managing Dog and Cat Impacts on Native Wildlife

Abstract

Many humans have created close relationships with wildlife and companion species. Notwithstanding that companion species were at some point themselves wild, some wild (i.e., feral) and domesticated (owned) dogs and cats now have significant impacts on wildlife. Many strategies exist to control the impact of dogs and cats on wildlife, but the successful implementation of management initiatives is tied to public opinions and the degree of acceptability of these measures. This paper reports the findings of a survey assessing the beliefs of residents in Queensland, Australia, about dog and cat impacts on wildlife, and their attitudes towards various strategies and options for controlling wild (i.e., feral) and domesticated (owned) dogs and cats. The responses of 590 participants were analysed. Our respondents collectively grouped strategies into those that directly cause wild dog and cat deaths and those that allow wild dogs and cats to live a ‘natural’ life, which is a variation on past research where respondents grouped strategies into lethal and non-lethal methods. Community acceptability of strategies that directly cause wild dog and cat deaths (each assessed using five-category Likert scores) was lower amongst females and respondents aged 34 years or less. Gender expectations in most places and cultures still predominately suggest that women are more ‘caring’, supportive of animal welfare, and perhaps cognizant that wild dogs and cats are also sentient creatures and appreciate the problematic tension between controlling wild and companion species. Age-related differences may reflect the changing social values of communities at different points in time. There was high support for regulations that enforce responsible pet ownership but not for the importance of pet-free suburbs, which the majority of respondents considered unimportant. These important variations in beliefs and attitudes require careful management within each community for the success of any program to control wild dogs or cats.

Piloting an International Comparison of Readily Accessible Online English Language Advice Surrounding Responsible Cat Ownership

“…For five of the six countries of origin, the corresponding search yielded the highest number of national webpages (e.g., the number of UK webpages was highest at (7) in the UK search, while the number of USA webpages was highest at (5) in the USA search). This is true for all countries except Singapore, as the most Singaporean webpages were detected in South Africa (2). Australian webpages had the highest proportion, regardless of search country.…”

“…There have been pet cats (Felis catus) on all continents-including as pets in some Antarctic bases [1,2]. Their popularity as companion animals is second only to dogs in many countries [3,4].…”

“…We take responsible cat ownership to be a commitment to perform various duties, sometimes specified by legislation, to satisfy a cat's behavioural, physical, and environmental needs while reducing risks that a cat may pose to the community, other animals, or the environment [13][14][15]. Nevertheless, a commitment to responsible cat ownership is multifaceted, often reflecting the priorities and values of a region and its stakeholders [2,16,17]. Moreover, management decisions and efforts advocated by public authorities do not always translate into ownership practices.…”

Perceived Benefits and Costs of Owning a Pet in a Megapolis: An Ecosystem Services Perspective

“…Thus, in New Zealand, public support for population control methods for unowned cats is being explored [30]. In Australia, scientists and society are searching for various management actions to control dog and cat populations and behavior [60].…”

“…As the number of urban pets grows, and the care industry expands, so does the distinct stakeholder group of pet owners, with their own specific needs and demands. The existence of such a group creates a need to address different questions connected to animal management policy, such as microchipping and pet registration [62], walking zones [45,[73][74][75], impact on biodiversity [28,58,60], and the regulation of abandoned and wild animals in the urban environment [62]. The COVID-19 pandemic has also introduced more concerns regarding pets, such as (1) how to care for pets during such crises in the future, (2) whether there are zoonotic concerns associated with caring for a pet, and 3) what repercussions there are for pet care [69,76].…”