The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has labeled the domestic house cat the “world’s worst invasive species.” High populations of free-roaming house cats in cities severely affect populations of native wildlife. Most animal shelters are at or above capacity for house cats. Feral cats and people’s free-roaming pet cats are at risk of serious disease and even early death. Also, feral cat populations pose potential human health concerns (e.g., rabies and toxoplasmosis). Many cities have implemented Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs in the hopes of reducing cat populations over time, but it is largely unclear how effective these programs are. Cat advocate groups around the US are extremely active with cat management programs such as TNR, but communication barriers between these cat advocates and ecologists have prevented potential useful collaborations for improving management. This complex series of issues represents an interesting intersection of multiple disciplines and thus supplies an excellent opportunity for Le Moyne College students to be engaged with the community and with their local ecosystem. It is imperative that we gain a better understanding of the dynamics of free-roaming house cat populations in order to develop adequate future management plans, to better understand effects on native wildlife, and to help alleviate human health concerns.
Results/Conclusions
One of the most effective ways to gather data regarding cat distributions over expansive geographic areas such as the city of Syracuse is to rely on citizen science data. In order to engage an entire community with a major ecological problem, I have created a smartphone app for citizen science data collection regarding populations and distributions of free-roaming house cats - Cat Tracker. Le Moyne College students are engaging community members in using Cat Tracker to report cat locations and behaviors all throughout the city. This information is being used in ongoing research regarding the effects of domestic cats on native wildlife populations. Also, information gathered with Cat Tracker will help local animal welfare groups with future cat management plans. One of the greatest challenges relating to this issue is education of the public. My hope is that Cat Tracker will help increase awareness over a broader public throughout Syracuse. It is an excellent opportunity for college students to experience collaborations among urban ecologists, cat advocate groups, and community members to seek solutions to this conservation challenge.