Number of unowned free-roaming cats in a college community in the southern United States and characteristics of community residents who feed them.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the number of unowned free-roaming cats in a college community in the southern United States and identify the characteristics of community residents who feed these cats.


METHODS
Cross-sectional, random-digit telephone survey.


METHODS
587 households in Alachua County, Florida, surveyed between March 1 and May 10, 1999.


METHODS
Telephone surveys were conducted, and respondents were asked questions about feeding of unowned free-roaming cats.


RESULTS
70 (12%) households fed free-roaming cats; mean +/- SD number of free-roaming cats fed per household was 3.6 +/- 1.9. Households that fed free-roaming cats were more likely to own pet cats than were households that did not feed free-roaming cats; however, 30 of 70 (43%) households feeding free-roaming cats did not own cats or dogs. Although the percentage of pet cats that were neutered was high (90%), only 8 (11%) households that fed free-roaming cats attempted to have such cats neutered. The free-roaming cat population was estimated to represent approximately 44% of the population of cats in the county.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that unowned free-roaming cats may represent a substantial portion of the total cat population in a region. Public policies and education programs aimed at reducing cat overpopulation should include provisions for neutering unowned free-roaming cats, and efforts should target the general public, not only pet owners, because not all households that feed unowned free-roaming cats own pets.
Levy
Julie K
JK
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
Woods
James E
JE
Turick
Sherri L
SL
Etheridge
Donna L
DL
D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002369:Castration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000662:veterinary; D002415:Cats; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011155:Population Control; D011156:Population Density; D013689:Telephone; D014495:Universities