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A science-based policy for managing free-roaming cats

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Abstract

Free-roaming domestic cats (i.e., cats that are owned or unowned and are considered ‘at large’) are globally distributed non-native species that have marked impacts on biodiversity and human health. Despite clear scientific evidence of these impacts, free-roaming cats are either unmanaged or managed using scientifically unsupported and ineffective approaches (e.g., trap-neuter-release [TNR]) in many jurisdictions around the world. A critical first initiative for effective, science-driven management of cats must be broader political and legislative recognition of free-roaming cats as a non-native, invasive species. Designating cats as invasive is important for developing and implementing science-based management plans, which should include efforts to prevent cats from becoming free-roaming, policies focused on responsible pet ownership and banning outdoor cat feeding, and better enforcement of existing laws. Using a science-based approach is necessary for responding effectively to the politically charged and increasingly urgent issue of managing free-roaming cat populations.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate comments of the associate editor and three anonymous reviewers that helped to improve the manuscript.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    Christopher A. Lepczyk

  2. School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    David C. Duffy

  3. Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, c/o North Saanich, Montreal, British Columbia, V8L 5J1, Canada

    David M. Bird

  4. Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia

    Michael Calver

  5. Freedom Center for Wildlife, Inc., Cinnaminson, NJ, 08077, USA

    Dmitry Cherkassky & Linda Cherkassky

  6. School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Christopher R. Dickman

  7. American University Washington College of Law, 4300 Nebraska Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20016, USA

    David Hunter

  8. Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California – Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    David Jessup

  9. Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, 300 La Kretz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA

    Travis Longcore

  10. Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA

    Scott R. Loss

  11. Arizona State University, 100 University Way, Lake Havasu City, AZ, 86403, USA

    Kerrie Anne T. Loyd

  12. McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA

    Peter P. Marra

  13. School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    John M. Marzluff

  14. Florida Institute for Conservation Science, 112 Half Moon Trail, Melrose, FL, 32666, USA

    Reed F. Noss

  15. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1610, USA

    Daniel Simberloff

  16. American Bird Conservancy, 4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 451, Washington, D.C, 20008, USA

    Grant C. Sizemore

  17. Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Stanley A. Temple

  18. Zoology Department, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Yolanda van Heezik

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  1. Christopher A. Lepczyk
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  18. Stanley A. Temple
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Contributions

CAL and DCD conceptualized manuscript and all authors assisted in writing and editing.

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Correspondence to Christopher A. Lepczyk.

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Lepczyk, C.A., Duffy, D.C., Bird, D.M. et al. A science-based policy for managing free-roaming cats. Biol Invasions 24, 3693–3701 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-022-02888-2

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