Elliott Alicia, Howell Tiffani J, McLeod Emily M, Bennett Pauleen C
Anthrozoology Research Group, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3552, Australia.
Department of Wildlife Conservation and Science, Zoos Victoria, Elliott Ave, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
Animals (Basel). 2019 Sep 19;9(9):703. doi: 10.3390/ani9090703.
Responsible cat ownership is important for keeping pet cats and wildlife safe. Much research investigating levels of compliance with and attitudes towards responsible cat ownership practices has focused on cat owners. Non-owner attitudes are relevant because their opinions may encourage cat-owning friends and family to engage (or not) in a cat management practice. The aim of this study was to determine levels of compliance with responsible cat ownership practices among cat owners, as well as attitudes towards those behaviors by owners and non-owners alike. An online survey was completed by 6808 people living in Australia who were recruited via companion animal or wildlife interest groups on social media. Frequency data were used to measure owner compliance with responsible cat ownership behaviors and -tests were used to determine whether owners and non-owners differed in their attitudes towards these behaviors. Owner compliance with responsible practices ranged from 46.5% (complete cat containment all day and night) to 76.9% (cat is de-sexed). Owner attitudes towards these practices were generally more positive than the reported levels of management practices implemented for their own cat. For example, 47.3% of owners agreed or strongly agreed that cats should always be contained and 88.6% agreed that cats should be contained at night. Non-owners were more likely than owners to agree that cats should be contained during the day, but there was no difference for containment at night. Owners were more likely to report that cats should be de-sexed. These results can be used to inform campaigns aimed at increasing compliance with responsible cat ownership behaviors.
负责任地养猫对于保护宠物猫和野生动物的安全至关重要。许多关于对负责任养猫行为的遵守程度和态度的研究都集中在猫主人身上。非猫主人的态度也很重要,因为他们的意见可能会促使养猫的朋友和家人参与(或不参与)某种养猫管理行为。本研究的目的是确定猫主人对负责任养猫行为的遵守程度,以及猫主人和非猫主人对这些行为的态度。通过社交媒体上的伴侣动物或野生动物兴趣小组招募了6808名居住在澳大利亚的人,他们完成了一项在线调查。频率数据用于衡量主人对负责任养猫行为的遵守情况,t检验用于确定主人和非主人对这些行为的态度是否存在差异。主人对负责任做法的遵守程度从46.5%(猫全天整夜都被完全圈养)到76.9%(猫已绝育)不等。主人对这些做法的态度通常比对自己的猫实际采取的管理措施的报告水平更为积极。例如,47.3%的主人同意或强烈同意猫应该始终被圈养,88.6%的主人同意猫在晚上应该被圈养。非猫主人比猫主人更有可能同意猫在白天应该被圈养,但在晚上圈养方面没有差异。主人更有可能报告猫应该绝育。这些结果可用于为旨在提高对负责任养猫行为遵守程度的宣传活动提供参考。