Free-Roaming Cat (Felis Catus) Management and Welfare Policies in Two University Campuses in Beirut, Lebanon: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Opportunities

ABSTRACT

Little information has been reported about the welfare and management of free-roaming animals in Middle Eastern countries. Here we describe a case study of free-roaming cat (Felis catus) management policies in two universities in Beirut, Lebanon whereby cats are immensely valued for their presence and the benefits they bring to students and employees. Guided by concern for animal welfare, the innovative, humane approaches by the universities include arranging adoptions, discouraging pet abandonment, food provision, health monitoring, nurturing a social responsibility consciousness among young people, formal endorsement of animal rights and humane treatment in student conduct expectations, sterilization, and veterinary care. The policies serve as blueprint for universities and other institutions across the globe to adopt proactive approaches to free-roaming cat management as well take responsibility for the welfare of all animals on campus (rather than only for ethical conduct in use of animals in scientific research). They also inspire students, as the next generation, to safeguard animals and the environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Animal welfare
• Felis catus
• free-roaming cats
• Lebanon
• trap-neuter-return

Acknowledgments

The first author thanks the Lebanese American University for the opportunity to learn more about its campus and cats as a visiting professor.

Notes

1. The University of the State of New York is authorized by the State of New York to incorporate higher education institutions and to authorize them to confer degrees.

2. The alumni of AUB and LAU have had a broad and significant impact in the Middle East and the world for many years, and include current and former prime ministers, government ministers, diplomats, and university leaders.

3. Although based on a logical premise and widely accepted in the literature, the assumption that feeding free-roaming cats contributes to their overpopulation is not yet supported with robust empirical evidence. Moreover, eradication efforts from uninhabited or sparsely populated islands suggest that cats are able to reproduce and even thrive in environments where they receive little or no human provisions. Also, the public does not necessarily perceive an overpopulation (Khor, Davey, & Zhao, 2018).