Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK.
Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK.
Trends Ecol Evol. 2020 Jun;35(6):477-483. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.01.008. Epub 2020 Feb 22.
Cats share a long history with humans but are remarkable among domesticated species in largely retaining behavioural and reproductive independence from people. In many societies, the cat maintains liminal status as both a domestic and a wild animal. An adaptive push-and-pull between wild and domestic traits corresponds with dual roles as companions and pest controllers, and with conflicted treatment in husbandry, management, law, and public discourse. To move forward, we must proceed by understanding that cats are not exclusively pets or pests, but both a central component of human societies and an important, often adverse, influence on ecosystems. Developing a collaborative 'companion animal ecology', in which human-animal domestic relations link to ecological processes, will enable sustainable management of this wild companionship.
猫与人类有着悠久的历史，但在很大程度上保留了行为和生殖上的独立性，这在驯养物种中是很显著的。在许多社会中，猫作为家养动物和野生动物保持着边缘地位。野生和家养特征之间的适应性推拉与伴侣和害虫控制者的双重角色相对应，也与养殖、管理、法律和公共话语中的冲突处理相对应。为了向前发展，我们必须认识到，猫不仅是宠物或害虫，而且是人类社会的核心组成部分，对生态系统也有重要的、往往是不利的影响。发展一种协作的“伴侣动物生态学”，使人类-动物的家庭关系与生态过程联系起来，将使这种野生伴侣关系的可持续管理成为可能。
