Risk behaviours exhibited by free‐roaming cats in a suburban US town

Abstract

Free-roaming cats may experience numerous hazardous encounters in the outdoor environment, including: vehicular accidents, aggression from other animals and exposure to infectious disease. This research quantitatively examined the outdoor activities of 55 owned cats by monitoring pets outfitted with 'KittyCam' video cameras. KittyCams are a type of Crittercam, designed by National Geographic to allow recording of a cat-eye view without disrupting behaviour. We investigated the activities of free-roaming cats in suburban Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, during all four seasons. Research objectives included documenting the type and regularity of risk behaviours exhibited by free-roaming cats and identifying characteristics of pet cats (eg, age, sex, roaming habitat) which predict risky behaviour in the outdoors. The most common risk behaviours exhibited by suburban free-roaming cats included crossing roads (45 per cent of our sample), encountering strange cats (25 per cent), eating and drinking substances away from home (25 per cent), exploring storm drain systems (20 per cent), and entering crawlspaces of houses (20 per cent). Male cats were more likely to engage in risk behaviours than female cats, and older cats engaged in fewer risk behaviours than younger individuals. We hope this information can be used to encourage the public to keep cats indoors more often (with consideration for their indoor quality of life) or supervise them while outdoors.

Nuisances and welfare of free-roaming cats in urban settings and their association with cat reproduction

“…A recent study by Lloyd et al (2013) provided a unique point of view on risky behaviors of outdoor pet cats in suburban environment. They conclude that these cats experienced high frequency of dangerous activities on a daily basis and recommended that these cats should be kept indoors or being supervised while roam outdoors (Loyd et al, 2013). We assume that living exclusively outdoors in crowded cities in Israel, with limited vital resources and medical care, freeroaming cats encounter hazardous events at an even higher frequency.…”

“…It was previously reported that 75% to 90% of kittens die before six months of age in high density FRC populations (Izawa and Ono, 1986;Mirmovitch, 1995;Nutter et al, 2004;Gunther et al, 2011). Data regarding infectious diseases affecting these populations are well established (Slater, 2007) and a recent study that used individual cameras on suburban outdoor pet cats, also found a high frequency of other life threatening hazards to these cats, such as crossing roads, encountering other cats, eating and drinking substances away from home, exploring storm drain systems and entering crawlspaces of houses (Loyd et al, 2013). In the last few decades, public concern regarding FRC welfare raised awareness for the use of non-kill methods to control of FRC population, mainly the trap-neuter-return (TNR) method (Slater et al, 2008;Gunther et al, 2011).…”

Mortality due to trauma in cats attending veterinary practices in central and south‐east England

“…These age associations may reflect the degree to which individuals of varying age have outdoor access and differences in the activity levels in cats. Older cats are reported to engage less in risky outdoor behaviours such as road crossing or interactions with unfamiliar cats (Loyd et al ) with consequently reduced mortality risks from RTA (Rochlitz ) or trauma (O'Neill et al ).…”

Study of the effect on shelter cat intakes and euthanasia from a shelter neuter return project of 10,080 cats from March 2010 to June 2014

“…With the decline of dead cats picked up off the street, the outdoor cat population is either diminishing further, or it is possible that fewer surgically sterilized cats are roaming wide areas due to lack of mating interest. In one project (Loyd et al, 2013), researchers found 45% of roaming cats crossed roads in 7 days. In yet another report, caregivers of feral cats reported decreased tendency to roam after being neutered (Scott et al, 2002).…”