Humane strategies for controlling feral cat populations.

A serological survey of feline immunodeficiency virus and Toxoplasma gondii in stray cats.Pedersen B, et al. Risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnancy: results of a prospective case-control study in Norway. Prevalence of feline leukemia virus infection and serum antibodies against feline immun-odeficiency virus in unowned free-roaming cats. A, et al. Prevalence of ectoparasites in a population of feral cats from north central Florida during the summer. What Are Feral Cats? The domestic cat has increased in popularity as a household pet in recent decades, surpassing the dog to become America' s most numerous pet. 1 Despite the enhanced status of cats as human companions, millions of unwanted cats are admitted to animal shelters each year and most of these cats are euthanatized because homes cannot be found for them. Debate about the true impact of free-roaming cats on the environment , on feline welfare, and as a reservoir of feline and zoonotic diseases is ongoing, often emotional, and fueled largely by a lack of sound scientific data on which to base credible conclusions. Separating the impacts of free-roaming, owned cats from those of unowned cats is also difficult. Definitions of various cat populations defy universal acceptance and focus variably on ownership status, lifestyle, and degree of socialization. Cats may be defined as free-roaming if they are not confined to a yard or house, a definition based on confinement of the animal rather than ownership or degree of socialization. Strictly speaking, feral cats are defined as those that are untamed and evasive. They are either born in the wild and lack socialization or are abandoned to the wild and become untrusting of humans. Although feral kittens can be tamed into acceptable pets if captured at