Population estimates and behavioral analyses of managed cat (Felis Catus) colonies located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, parks

Authors

Daniel Castillo, Florida International University

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Major/Program

Environmental Studies

First Advisor's Name

Alice L. Clarke

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

Philip K. Stoddard

Third Advisor's Name

Joel T. Heinen

Date of Defense

4-6-2001

Abstract

The purpose of my study was to collect data on managed cat (Felis catus) colonies located in two Miami-Dade County, Florida, parks, in order to test the following assertions put forward by proponents of the colonies: 1) Managed cat colonies will decline in size over time and 2) The territorial behavior of cats living in established cat colonies will prevent additional cats from joining. I collected observational and photographic capture-recapture data in order to track colony population dynamics. Behavioral data were also collected in order to understand the role that cat behavior plays in influencing colony population dynamics. My results do not support the assertion that colonies will decline over time. Instead, my findings demonstrate that the establishment of colonies on public lands encourages dumping of cats and creates an attractive nuisance. Furthermore, my behavioral analysis suggests that territorial behavior does not play a role in excluding new cats.

Identifier

FI14060106

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this dissertation or thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to dcc@fiu.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Recommended Citation

Castillo, Daniel, "Population estimates and behavioral analyses of managed cat (Felis Catus) colonies located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, parks" (2001). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2074.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2074