Coexistence between Humans and ‘Misunderstood’ Domestic Cats in the Anthropocene: Exploring Behavioural Plasticity as a Gatekeeper of Evolution
Welfare and management decisions for unowned free-ranging cats in urban environments should no longer be based on knowledge about behavioural ecology of solitary cats living and breeding in more natural ‘wild’ environments. We provide evidence that urban free-ranging domestic cats in the Anthropocen...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/13/1717 |
| _version_ | 1797481160941502464 |
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| author | Eugenia Natoli Carla Litchfield Dominique Pontier |
| author_facet | Eugenia Natoli Carla Litchfield Dominique Pontier |
| author_sort | Eugenia Natoli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Welfare and management decisions for unowned free-ranging cats in urban environments should no longer be based on knowledge about behavioural ecology of solitary cats living and breeding in more natural ‘wild’ environments. We provide evidence that urban free-ranging domestic cats in the Anthropocene have responded to rapidly changing environments, such as abundance of food and higher population densities of conspecifics by adapting their behaviour (behavioural plasticity—the ability of a genotype (individual) to express different behaviours according to its environment) and social organisation to living in complex social groups, especially those living in colonies. Urban free-ranging cats are now more social, as demonstrated by different breeding patterns, lower infanticide, more frequent affiliative interactions in general, and different spatial groupings. We argue that this knowledge should be disseminated widely, and inform future research and strategies used to manage free-ranging cats across environments. Understanding behavioural plasticity and other recently evolved traits of domestic cats may lead to management strategies that maximise health and welfare of cats, wildlife, and humans—otherwise domestic cat behaviour may be ‘misunderstood’. Importantly, interdisciplinary research using expertise from biological and social sciences, and engaging human communities, should evaluate these management strategies to ensure they maintain optimal welfare of free-ranging domestic cats while preserving biodiversity and protecting wildcats. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:10:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9847e4c4bda344a69cfa2b32974fbac5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:10:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-9847e4c4bda344a69cfa2b32974fbac52023-11-23T19:33:47ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-07-011213171710.3390/ani12131717Coexistence between Humans and ‘Misunderstood’ Domestic Cats in the Anthropocene: Exploring Behavioural Plasticity as a Gatekeeper of EvolutionEugenia Natoli0Carla Litchfield1Dominique Pontier2Canile Sovrazonale, ASL Roma 3 (Local Health Unit Rome 3), 00148 Rome, ItalyConservation Psychology and Applied Animal Behaviour Research Group, Justice and Society (Discipline of Psychology), University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, AustraliaLaboratoire de Biométrie et de Biologie Évolutive, UMR CNRS5558, Université C. Bernard Lyon 1, 43 Bd du 11 nov. 1018, 69622 Villeurbanne, FranceWelfare and management decisions for unowned free-ranging cats in urban environments should no longer be based on knowledge about behavioural ecology of solitary cats living and breeding in more natural ‘wild’ environments. We provide evidence that urban free-ranging domestic cats in the Anthropocene have responded to rapidly changing environments, such as abundance of food and higher population densities of conspecifics by adapting their behaviour (behavioural plasticity—the ability of a genotype (individual) to express different behaviours according to its environment) and social organisation to living in complex social groups, especially those living in colonies. Urban free-ranging cats are now more social, as demonstrated by different breeding patterns, lower infanticide, more frequent affiliative interactions in general, and different spatial groupings. We argue that this knowledge should be disseminated widely, and inform future research and strategies used to manage free-ranging cats across environments. Understanding behavioural plasticity and other recently evolved traits of domestic cats may lead to management strategies that maximise health and welfare of cats, wildlife, and humans—otherwise domestic cat behaviour may be ‘misunderstood’. Importantly, interdisciplinary research using expertise from biological and social sciences, and engaging human communities, should evaluate these management strategies to ensure they maintain optimal welfare of free-ranging domestic cats while preserving biodiversity and protecting wildcats.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/13/1717domestic catAnthropocenebehavioural plasticitynew trait evolution |
| spellingShingle | Eugenia Natoli Carla Litchfield Dominique Pontier Coexistence between Humans and ‘Misunderstood’ Domestic Cats in the Anthropocene: Exploring Behavioural Plasticity as a Gatekeeper of Evolution Animals domestic cat Anthropocene behavioural plasticity new trait evolution |
| title | Coexistence between Humans and ‘Misunderstood’ Domestic Cats in the Anthropocene: Exploring Behavioural Plasticity as a Gatekeeper of Evolution |
| title_full | Coexistence between Humans and ‘Misunderstood’ Domestic Cats in the Anthropocene: Exploring Behavioural Plasticity as a Gatekeeper of Evolution |
| title_fullStr | Coexistence between Humans and ‘Misunderstood’ Domestic Cats in the Anthropocene: Exploring Behavioural Plasticity as a Gatekeeper of Evolution |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coexistence between Humans and ‘Misunderstood’ Domestic Cats in the Anthropocene: Exploring Behavioural Plasticity as a Gatekeeper of Evolution |
| title_short | Coexistence between Humans and ‘Misunderstood’ Domestic Cats in the Anthropocene: Exploring Behavioural Plasticity as a Gatekeeper of Evolution |
| title_sort | coexistence between humans and misunderstood domestic cats in the anthropocene exploring behavioural plasticity as a gatekeeper of evolution |
| topic | domestic cat Anthropocene behavioural plasticity new trait evolution |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/13/1717 |
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