Factors Affecting Student Tolerance for Free-Roaming Cats

Abstract

The management of free-roaming domestic cats is a controversial and challenging issue for animal welfare organizations and government agencies. In this article, we used a previously validated concept, wildlife acceptance capacity, to measure tolerance for free-roaming cats. We also identified the demographic, situational, and affective factors influencing tolerance, and evaluated the effect of tolerance on attitudes toward cat management. We conducted a written survey with 381 university students, measuring experiences with outdoor cats, perceptions of and tolerance for the cat population, attitudes toward cats and cat management, and risk perceptions. Tolerance/acceptance was measured as preference for reducing future cat population levels. A 7-item model—including positive and negative experiences, attitudes, beliefs, perceived risks, and perceptions of the current cat population—predicted acceptance 81% of the time. Cat acceptance predicted attitudes toward cat management and should be addressed in future campaigns aimed at reducing the population of free-roaming cats.

Keywords:

• attitudes
• management
• risk perception
• free-roaming/feral cats
• wildlife acceptance capacity

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to all focus group participants and survey respondents for their contributions and to R. West and M. Moulton for recruiting participants. We also thank K. Sieving, M. Monroe, J. Levy, R. Bowman, and two anonymous reviewers for commenting on earlier versions of this article. The authors acknowledge funding from the Morris Animal Foundation and the NSF: DDIG in Decision Risk and Management Sciences.