Effects of Cat and Dog Interactions on Urban Wildlife Admitted to a Wildlife Center in Wisconsin

Abstract

kittens per litter (Burton and Dobler, 2004), each of which can be a threat to wildlife. There has not been much research on how domestic dogs in the United States affect wild animals. Dogs can cause physical injury, nest destruction, and death to wildlife animals (Forrest and Cassady, 2006). They can also harass or chase endemic species, which results in increased stress and energetically costly behavior among native wildlife (Lenth, 2008). A survey conducted in 2016 by the American Pet Products Association estimates that there are about 89,000,000 domestic dogs in the United States. Some domestic dogs are trained to facilitate hunting, protect property, or reduce human-wildlife conflicts by protecting livestock from people or predators (Melson, 2009). In Wisconsin, 26 counties have wildlife rehabilitation centers or licensed rehabilitators that care for injured or orphaned urban wild animals with the intent to release them back into the wild (Wisconsin DNR). The Dane County Humane Society's Wildlife Center (DCHS Wildlife Center) treats over 3,800 animals per year that are sick, injured, or orphaned with the goal of releasing healthy animals back into their natural habitats (Dane County Humane Society, 2020). Although data on intakes to wildlife rehabilitation centers cannot be used to estimate the total number of birds and mammals injured by domestic pets or to know how dogs and cats affect bird and mammal populations, they may provide insight into the species and life stages that are most affected. Reviewing existing data from DCHS Wildlife Center can also help other rehabilitation centers in Wisconsin understand when animals will be admitted due to dog and cat interactions, the life stages of animals admitted, and the mortality and release rates of animals.

Trends in Admissions and Outcomes at a British Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre over a Ten-Year Period (2012–2022)

“…In a WRC in Tennessee, 20% of cases were due to interactions with domestic pets, 14% were cat-related, and 6% were with dogs. In a WRC in Madison, Wisconsin, dog and cat interactions accounted for 9.7% and 5.6%, respectively, of small mammal and bird admissions, with birds admitted more commonly because of cat interactions and mammals because of dog interactions [ 88 ]. In Canada, cat attacks accounted for 23% and 13% of bird and mammal admissions, respectively, in one study [ 6 ] and, more recently, 6% of overall admissions to WRCs [ 69 ].…”

“…In all studies with available data, mammals and birds are admitted throughout the year because of cat and dog interactions. More cat and dog attacks were seen at a WRC in Wisconsin in the breeding seasons in the spring and summer, and fledgling birds were also being admitted more frequently than adults and hatchling birds [ 88 ], suggesting vulnerability when first leaving the nest. Another study in the USA in Virginia, however, found that although cat interactions were most frequent in juvenile mammals (40.5%), compared to neonates (34%) and adults (25.5%), in birds, adults with cat injuries were more frequently admitted to the WRC (42.7%) than juveniles (37.2%) or nestlings (20.1%) [ 89 ].…”

Forensic Death Investigations of Dog Bite Injuries in 31 Cats

“…In this study, we have referred to cats as the “victims” of dog bite injuries, but it should be noted that cats can also be attackers in animal bite events. Native animals, such as small mammals and birds, may fall victim to free-ranging cats [ 33 , 34 ]. The injury patterns of cat bite wounds in these wild animals and the identification of feline DNA are worth studying.…”

Assessing the extent and public health impact of bat predation by domestic animals using data from a rabies passive surveillance program

“…Although it is estimated that there are more owned cats than dogs in Canada (7.9 million cats and 5.9 million dogs [31]), the relative population size difference is insufficient to account for the significant disparity in batinteraction rate between dogs and cats. Significant predation impacts of cats on bats are evident from meta-analyses [18,[32][33][34][35][36], wildlife rehabilitation data [17,[37][38][39], and feral cat diet studies [40][41][42]. Even single cats can have substantial impacts.…”