Bid to save wildcats from amorous cousins

DUBAI // Volunteers at a nature reserve are taking part in a conservation project to save the rare Gordon's wildcat.

The story of this species' plight is not the usual one of overhunting or habitat loss; its nemesis is none other than … the domestic pussycat.

The wildlife expert Peter Roosenschoon, who launched the project at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, says the wildcat's survival as a distinct species is threatened by interbreeding with domestic and feral cats.

And he has made an important discovery towards ensuring the feline's survival: nine out of 10 wildcats prefer sardines with chillies.

He tried many different baits for his traps, including cat food, tuna, raw meat and quails' entrails. None worked, however, until he experimented with tinned sardines and chillies and found that cats were turning up regularly in the traps.

"We want to see what the interaction is between feral cats and Gordon's wildcats within the reserve," Mr Roosenschoon said. "That means capturing as many cats - feral or Gordon's - as possible."

Six volunteers are taking part in the first UAE project by Biosphere Expeditions, a UK-based non-profit company that runs conservation holidays around the world.

The trips give members of the public a chance to contribute to serious scientific research, and the manpower they provide makes it possible to collect more data than would otherwise be possible.

The group consists of visitors from the United States, Australia, France, Germany and Austria who have flown in specially for the expedition, plus the Austrian Evelyn Brey, who lives in the UAE. They are spending a week at the reserve, where 16 cage traps and 14 camera traps have been set up.

Each evening they bait the cages, and the following morning they return to see if anything has been caught overnight.

“With the Biosphere Expeditions team we are looking for the range: how many cats we’ve got throughout the reserve,” Mr Roosenschoon added. “It’s a real help having these guys.”

The trapped animals are microchipped and a tiny piece of tissue is taken from their ears for DNA testing before they are released. The results will be used to determine whether each individual is a pure Gordon’s or a hybrid, and any which are found to be the result of interbreeding will be removed from the reserve.

This will open up more territory to the Gordon’s wildcat and enable a pure population to develop. In the future, specimens obtained from captive breeding centres may be introduced and it is hoped that lessons learnt from the project can be applied elsewhere.

The volunteers also weigh and measure the cats, and are working on a second project to evaluate the reserve’s Arabian Oryx population.

Ms Brey said: “If I can help in any way, if what we are doing here is actually giving great data that takes these projects forward, then I’m very happy.”

The National spent a day with the volunteers, staying overnight at their base camp, and found they were learning the frustrations as well as the satisfactions involved in desert conservation.

The group’s fleet of three Land Rovers frequently became trapped in soft sand when venturing off established tracks. What is more, problems with GPS equipment meant the teams could not find some of the traps, which proved to be as elusive as the rarely seen wildcat.

“It wasn’t only us inexperienced drivers getting stuck, it was also the staff from the reserve taking us into the dunes,” said the expedition leader Malika Fettak, from Germany. “It’s unpredictable, if you come to a very soft spot you just sink in and there’s nothing you can do.”

The long day, which had started at 6am with saucepan lids being struck together as a wake-up call, ended with dinner around the campfire followed by shisha. The volunteers then retired early to their tents, exhausted from digging out all that sand from beneath the cars.

csimpson@thenational.ae

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/bid-to-save-wildcats-from-amorous-cousins

Call to halt spread of feral cats in the US

‘This is a human-caused tragedy'November 2011: American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is calling on US mayors to stop the epidemic spread of feral cats that threaten national bird populations as well as scores of other wildlife.

Letters have been mailed to mayors of the fifty largest cities in the Unites States, urging they support responsible pet ownership and oppose Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programmes that promote the feeding of outdoor cats.

‘Cat overpopulation is a human-caused tragedy that affects the health and well-being of cats, our native wildlife, and the public,' says Darin Schroeder, Vice President for Conservation Advocacy for ABC in a letter to the mayors. ‘Numerous published, scientific studies have shown that trap, neuter, re-abandon programmes do not reduce feral cat populations and that outdoor cats, even well-fed ones, kill hundreds of millions of wild birds and other animals each year in the US, including endangered species. Birds that nest or feed on the ground are especially vulnerable to cat attacks.

'About as fair as shooting of fish in a barrel'‘The domestic cat is an extremely effective predator that has been introduced by modern man into an environment whose species have evolved few, if any natural cat defences. Non-native, well-fed, inoculated, healthy cats versus defenseless prey is about as fair in the world of nature as the proverbial shooting of fish in a barrel,' he said.

Studies indicate that there are 95 million outdoor and feral cats in the United States that kill at least 532 million birds, and possibly significantly more. Given the well-documented impacts of cat predation on wildlife, ABC urges the mayors to oppose TNR programmes and the outdoor feeding of cats as a feral cat management option.

Through the Cats Indoors! campaign, ABC and its many partners encourage people to keep their cats indoors, train them to go outside on a harness and leash, or build outdoor cat enclosures. Cats should be spayed or neutered before they can produce an unwanted litter, and should never be abandoned. Abandoning cats is illegal in many areas, is extremely cruel to cats, and is harmful to birds and other wildlife.

‘TNR is not humane to the cats or the wildlife. Free-roaming cats are in constant danger of being hit by cars, contracting diseases and parasites, or being attacked by other animals or people,' said Schroeder. ‘Colonies often become dumping grounds for unwanted pets, thus continuing the inhumane cycle.'

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/feral-cat1112011.html

Bill mandates 'fixing' of cats, dogs before sale

By Rob Shikina

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 17, 2011

State lawmakers are looking at a bill that would require pet retailers in Hawaii to sterilize all cats and dogs before selling them.

Passing such a law would lessen the suffering of feral cats because of overpopulation and reduce the number of animals euthanized in shelters, said Inga Gibson, state director of the Humane Society of the United States. Many feral cats are the offspring of abandoned house cats that haven't been sterilized, she added.

House Bill 243 notes that an unsterilized female cat can give birth to two litters a year, which, extrapolated over seven years, could lead to 400,000 cats.

Feral cat colonies continue to grow despite various efforts to control the cat population, and the pressures of overpopulation lead to starvation of the weakest and the spread of disease and mange, a form of animal cruelty when uncontrolled, the bill says.

"It's a tremendous issue," Gibson said. "We have a large feral cat issue throughout the state. One of the contributing factors is the sale of unsterilized cats."

Feral cats are also a threat to Hawaii's endangered birds, according to the state Division of Forestry and Wildlife.

The bill is just one version of animal cruelty legislation that is heading to a conference committee to work out differences between House and Senate versions.

State laws mandating the spaying or neutering of dogs or cats appear to be rare. At least one state, Rhode Island, mandates it if the animals are released from a shelter. Some counties on the mainland, however, completely ban the sale of cats or dogs, while a Los Angeles ordinance from 2008 requires pet owners to sterilize their dogs or cats by the age of 4 months.

Despite the large feral cat population, the Humane Society opposes euthanasia and supports managed cat colonies for unsocialized cats, where a caretaker will get the animals sterilized, microchipped, vaccinated, fed and looked after.

"It's not an easy life for a cat that's not part of a managed colony," Gibson said.

Theresa Donnelly, who breeds boxers and is secretary of the Boxer Club of Hawaii, said the bill wouldn't affect purebred dogs because hobby breeders usually sell person to person, which is not regulated by the bill.

"Any reputable breeder would never sell to a pet store anyway," she said. Hobby breeders want to meet potential owners to make sure their dogs will have a safe home and possibly establish a relationship with the new owners to promote ethical breeding, she said. "People who want to breed animals should be mentored."

Tish Rothwell, owner of the Pet Depot in Ewa Beach, said her business has been fixing cats before adopting them out ever since hundreds of animals were rescued from a Waianae no-kill shelter when the owner died in July 2009.

After the rescue, shelters were full and couldn't take animals from people who were trying to give up their pets. Rather than see cats euthanized in shelters, Rothwell's store took the animals and sterilized them before adopting them out for a fee that covered medical costs.

"We want to be responsible and keep that out-of-control cat population down," Rothwell said.

However, she has concerns about mandating the fixing of dogs. They recover slower than cats after being spayed or neutered and require more care, raising the cost of the animals.

Brent Chung, manager of Kalihi Pet Center, said some customers may not mind if the bill becomes law, but pet stores may require breeders to have dogs fixed before selling them to the retailer, reducing the supply of dogs in stores. He said some veterinarians are backlogged and the dogs may be months old by the time an animal can be sterilized, frustrating customers that want dogs as young as 6 weeks old that are easier to train. He suspected the bill could also boost sales of unsterilized dogs outside of stores. "They'll beat the system, no matter what," he said.

The bill has an effective date of January.

Honolulu Star Advertiser: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20110417__Bill_mandates_fixing_of_cats_dogs_before_sale.html

Feral cats kill 480 million birds in US every year - Responsible for 33 extinctions

480 million birds killed by feral cats each year

December 2010: A new report has put the annual economic loss from feral cat predation on birds in the US at a alleged $17 billion (Some of the maths involed in this figure are interesting, to say the least).

The report, Feral Cats And Their Management, analyses existing research on management of the burgeoning feral cat population - over 60 million and counting - in the United States, including the controversial practice of Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR).

Trap, Neuter & Release doesn't work
‘This report is a must read for any community or government official thinking about what to do about feral cats. It encapsulates the extensive research on this subject and draws conclusions based on that data. Not surprisingly, the report validates everything the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has been saying about the feral cat issue for many years, namely TNR doesn't work in controlling feral cat populations,' said Darin Schroeder, Vice President for Conservation Advocacy for American Bird Conservancy, US's leading bird conservation organisation.

'These animals live short, miserable lives'

‘Communities seeking a solution to their feral cat problems need to consider the science on the issue and the well being of animals impacted by feral cats as well as the cats themselves. These other animals - birds especially - don't deserve to die at the hands of a predator introduced into their environment by irresponsible pet owners.

‘A humane decision-making process on this issue must also recognise that feral cats live short, miserable lives because of disease, other predators, severe weather and traffic hazards. Their life expectancy is about one third as long as owned cats,' Schroeder added.

More than 30 bird species have been wiped out
A key finding of the report was the statement by the authors that they do not recommend the TNR method to eliminate colonies of feral cats. In their extensive research, they were unable to find a single real-world example of TNR succeeding in eliminating a feral cat colony.

Some of the many findings of the report include:
Feral cats are invasive and pose a threat to native fauna and public health.

Three separate studies showed that most feral cats (62 to 80 per cent) carry the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis - a condition of special concern to pregnant women.

Cats are responsible for the extinction of at least 33 species of birds.

Feral cats kill an estimated 480 million birds in the US each year.

Feeding feral cats encourages them to congregate which encourages the chances of diseases being transmitted.

The supplemental feeding of feral cats should be prohibited.

Cats will kill wildlife no matter how well they are fed.

Feral cats kill 480 million birds in US every year - Responsible for 33 extinctions

480 million birds killed by feral cats each year

December 2010: A new report has put the annual economic loss from feral cat predation on birds in the US at a alleged $17 billion (Some of the maths involed in this figure are interesting, to say the least).

The report, Feral Cats And Their Management, analyses existing research on management of the burgeoning feral cat population - over 60 million and counting - in the United States, including the controversial practice of Trap, Neuter, Release (TNR).

Trap, Neuter & Release doesn't work
‘This report is a must read for any community or government official thinking about what to do about feral cats. It encapsulates the extensive research on this subject and draws conclusions based on that data. Not surprisingly, the report validates everything the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has been saying about the feral cat issue for many years, namely TNR doesn't work in controlling feral cat populations,' said Darin Schroeder, Vice President for Conservation Advocacy for American Bird Conservancy, US's leading bird conservation organisation.

'These animals live short, miserable lives'

‘Communities seeking a solution to their feral cat problems need to consider the science on the issue and the well being of animals impacted by feral cats as well as the cats themselves. These other animals - birds especially - don't deserve to die at the hands of a predator introduced into their environment by irresponsible pet owners.

‘A humane decision-making process on this issue must also recognise that feral cats live short, miserable lives because of disease, other predators, severe weather and traffic hazards. Their life expectancy is about one third as long as owned cats,' Schroeder added.

More than 30 bird species have been wiped out
A key finding of the report was the statement by the authors that they do not recommend the TNR method to eliminate colonies of feral cats. In their extensive research, they were unable to find a single real-world example of TNR succeeding in eliminating a feral cat colony.

Some of the many findings of the report include:
Feral cats are invasive and pose a threat to native fauna and public health.

Three separate studies showed that most feral cats (62 to 80 per cent) carry the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis - a condition of special concern to pregnant women.

Cats are responsible for the extinction of at least 33 species of birds.

Feral cats kill an estimated 480 million birds in the US each year.

Feeding feral cats encourages them to congregate which encourages the chances of diseases being transmitted.

The supplemental feeding of feral cats should be prohibited.

Cats will kill wildlife no matter how well they are fed.