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Worldwide domestic cat invasions affect wildlife through hunting and gene pollution
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Abstract
The domestic cat is on the list of the 100 most dangerous invasive species of the world, they have invaded the worldwide environment and caused problems in multiple aspects. The invasion of cats has also been studied around the world. Domestic cats prey on small wild animals, affecting their populations. Relevant studies have been conducted in North America, Australia, islands around the world, and some countries in Asia and Europe, proving that a huge number of wild mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates are killed by domestic cats every year. At the other aspect, domestic cats can interbreed with certain wild cat species, such as Chinese Mountain cats leopard cats, and European wild cats, and these hybrid cats can produce fertile offspring. The invasion of domestic cats has also taken a toll on the genetic integrity of these feral cats. This article selects some research to analyze the affections that domestic cats have on wild animals and the ecological environment in terms of predation and genetic pollution, discusses certain widely used methods to control the domestic cat population, and the advantages and short backs of all strategies. It also analyzes the shortcomings and untouched aspects of existing research and proposes topics that require further research. Background knowledge and suggestions for research topics are provided for future research.
Keywords
Domestic cat, invasive species, predation, gene flow
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Cite this article
Xu,Z. (2023). Worldwide domestic cat invasions affect wildlife through hunting and gene pollution. Theoretical and Natural Science,16,300-305.
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Volume title: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Modern Medicine and Global Health
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