| what does the wolf eat? assessing the diet of the endangered iberian wolf (canis lupus signatus) in northeast portugal. | the iberian wolf (canis lupus signatus) is a top predator that inhabits the iberian peninsula. in portugal, its numbers and distribution declined throughout the 20th century, due to human persecution, habitat degradation and prey decline, which have led to higher predation rates of livestock in the remaining packs. in montesinho natural park (northeast portugal), wild ungulate populations have been increasing in the last years, which may have led wolf to predate upon them. in order to assess ibe ... | 2020 | 32231379 |
| epidemiological and genetic studies suggest a common leishmania infantum transmission cycle in wildlife, dogs and humans associated to vector abundance in southeast spain. | leishmania infantum infection was investigated in 202 wild carnivores, rodents and lagomorphs in southeast spain using a real-time pcr (rtpcr) in skin and organ samples, mostly spleen. lesions compatible with leishmaniosis were not observed in any of the animals. prevalence defined as the percentage of rtpcr-positive animals was 32% overall, and 45% in foxes (n = 69), 30% in rabbits (n = 80) and stone martens (n = 10), 19% in wood mice (n = 16), 0% in black rats (n = 10) and ranged between 0% an ... | 2018 | 30056986 |
| i thought i saw a pussy cat: portrayal of wild cats in friendly interactions with humans distorts perceptions and encourages interactions with wild cat species. | most people lack the opportunity to see non-domesticated animals in the wild. consequently, people's perception of wild animals is based on what they see on (social) media. the way in which (social) media portrays non-domesticated animals determines our perception of and behaviour to these animals. people like to interact with animals, which is why venues which offer the opportunity to interact with non-domesticated animals are popular wildlife tourist attractions (wtas). however, these wtas mor ... | 2019 | 31042719 |
| canine distemper virus may affect european wild cat populations in central spain. | the main objective of this brief communication is to inform about the exposure to certain pathogens of interest for mesocarnivores in wildcats (felis silvestris silvestris) that inhabit a human-domestic-wild ecotone located in a natural park (serranía de cuenca, central spain). blood and mucosal swabs (nasal, conjunctival and rectal) samples were collected from nine alive animals to detect canine distemper virus (cdv), parvovirus (cpv/fpv), feline leukaemia virus (felv), feline coronavirus (fcov ... | 2019 | 32218716 |
| evaluating metabarcoding to analyse diet composition of species foraging in anthropogenic landscapes using ion torrent and illumina sequencing. | dna metabarcoding of faecal samples is being successfully used to study the foraging niche of species. we assessed the ability of two benchtop high-throughput sequencing (hts) platforms, to identify a large taxonomic array of food items from domestic cats felis silvestris catus, including prey and human-related food taxa (pet food and leftovers leaving undetectable solid remains in faeces). scats from a captive feeding trial (n = 41) and from free-ranging individuals (n = 326) were collected and ... | 2018 | 30459313 |
| perception of the delboeuf illusion by the adult domestic cat (felis silvestris catus) in comparison with other mammals. | the comparative study of the perception of visual illusions between different species is increasingly recognized as a useful noninvasive tool to better understand visual perception and its underlying mechanisms and evolution. the aim of the present study was to test whether the domestic cat is susceptible to the delboeuf illusion in a manner similar to other mammalian species studied to date. for comparative reasons, we followed the methods used to test other mammals in which the animals were te ... | 2019 | 30394784 |
| olfactory discrimination between litter mates by mothers and alien adult cats: lump or split? | mother cats can discriminate between their own and alien kittens using kittens' body odour. here we ask whether they can also distinguish between body odours of kittens from the same litter. we conducted three experiments using the habituation-dishabituation technique with the odour of 1- and 7-week-old kittens of both sexes. in experiment 1, we found no evidence that mothers discriminated among their own kittens of either age when presented three times with the odour of one individual (habituat ... | 2019 | 30382446 |
| females know better: sex-biased habitat selection by the european wildcat. | the interactions between animals and their environment vary across species, regions, but also with gender. sex-specific relations between individuals and the ecosystem may entail different behavioral choices and be expressed through different patterns of habitat use. regardless, only rarely sex-specific traits are addressed in ecological modeling approaches. the european wildcat (felis silvestris silvestris) is a species of conservation concern in europe, with a highly fragmented and declining d ... | 2018 | 30377515 |
| an assessment of the role of the falx cerebri and tentorium cerebelli in the cranium of the cat (felis silvestris catus). | the falx cerebri and the tentorium cerebelli are two projections of the dura mater in the cranial cavity which ossify to varying degrees in some mammalian species. the idea that the ossification of these structures may be necessary to support the loads arising during feeding has been proposed and dismissed in the past, but never tested quantitatively. to address this, a biomechanical model of a domestic cat (felis silvestris catus) skull was created and the material properties of the falx and te ... | 2018 | 30355804 |
| detection of simonsiella spp. in the vagina of lions and leopard in oestrus. | reports of the vaginal flora of wild cats such as lions or leopards are scarce. the micro-organisms most commonly found in the vagina of clinically healthy cats are aerobic bacteria such as coagulase-negative staphylococcus, streptococcus canis, and escherichia coli. simonsiella spp are large gram-negative bacteria belonging to the neisseriaceae family, typically found in the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract of many species. to date, there are no reports of the detection of simonsiella sp ... | 2018 | 30066407 |
| fatal infection with emerging apicomplexan parasite hepatozoon silvestris in a domestic cat. | hepatozoon silvestris is an emerging apicomplexan parasite discovered in european wild cats from bosnia and herzegovina and blood samples of a domestic cat from southern italy in 2017. it has also been identified in ixodes ricinus collected from a domestic cat in wales, uk, in 2018. the clinical relevance, pathogenesis and epidemiology of this novel hepatozoon species are not yet understood. thus, the objective of this paper was to report and describe the first fatal case of an h. silvestris inf ... | 2018 | 30029688 |
| nonlinear mixed models of growth curves from domestic shorthair cats in a breeding colony, housed in a seasonal facility to predict obesity. | obesity is highly prevalent in pet cats (felis silvestris catus) and is associated with several comorbidities, yet very little is understood about the early life risk factors. the aim of this study was to develop a mathematical model that describes growth in cats, to determine which early life variables were associated with being overweight in adulthood and to identify when during life the overweight phenotype developed in a colony of cats. we used pedigree, birth and growth data of 212 colony c ... | 2018 | 29932481 |
| toxoplasma gondii infection in wild mustelids and cats across an urban-rural gradient. | the increase in human population and domestic pets, such as cats, are generating important consequences in terms of habitat loss and pathogen pollution of coastal ecosystems with potential to generate negative impacts in marine biodiversity. toxoplasma gondii is the etiological agent of zoonotic disease toxoplasmosis, and is associated with cat abundance and anthropogenic disturbance. the presence of t. gondii oocysts in the ocean has negatively affected the health status of the threatened south ... | 2018 | 29924844 |
| the method matters: the effect of handling time on cortisol level and blood parameters in wild cats. | blood analysis has recently become a popular tool to assess the welfare of the wild cats. however, the estimates of blood parameters may depend on the sampling method. we have tested (1) if the sampling procedure influences blood parameters and (2) what parameters are the most efficient in assessing the physiological status in wild cat species. we assessed the effect of handling time on red blood cells (rbc) and white blood cells (wbc) counts, the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (n/l ratio), ... | 2018 | 29893473 |
| applications and efficiencies of the first cat 63k dna array. | the development of high throughput snp genotyping technologies has improved the genetic dissection of simple and complex traits in many species including cats. the properties of feline 62,897 snps illumina infinium iselect dna array are described using a dataset of over 2,000 feline samples, the most extensive to date, representing 41 cat breeds, a random bred population, and four wild felid species. accuracy and efficiency of the array's genotypes and its utility in performing population-based ... | 2018 | 29728693 |
| tracking the continuous evolutionary processes of an endogenous retrovirus of the domestic cat: erv-dc. | an endogenous retrovirus (erv) is a remnant of an ancient retroviral infection in the host genome. although most ervs have lost their viral productivity, a few ervs retain their replication capacity. in addition, partially inactivated ervs can present a potential risk to the host via their encoded virulence factors or the generation of novel viruses by viral recombination. ervs can also eventually acquire a biological function, and this ability has been a driving force of host evolution. therefo ... | 2018 | 29642384 |
| the chemical basis of species, sex, and individual recognition using feces in the domestic cat. | scents emitted from excretions provide important information about the owner. volatile compounds with higher levels in a species and/or sex, or that vary among individuals could be odor cues for species and/or sex, or individual recognition. however, such compounds have been identified in only a few vertebrate species. in domestic cats (felis silvestris catus), it is known that unburied cat feces are territorial markers asserting the border of their home range, but little was known which fecal c ... | 2018 | 29637491 |
| human-mediated dispersal of cats in the neolithic central europe. | archeological and genetic evidence suggest that all domestic cats derived from the near eastern wildcat (felis silvestris lybica) and were first domesticated in the near east around 10,000 years ago. the spread of the domesticated form in europe occurred much later, primarily mediated by greek and phoenician traders and afterward by romans who introduced cats to western and central europe around 2000 years ago. we investigated mtdna of holocene felis remains and provide evidence of an unexpected ... | 2018 | 29588507 |
| visual classification of feral cat felis silvestris catus vocalizations. | cat vocal behavior, in particular, the vocal and social behavior of feral cats, is poorly understood, as are the differences between feral and fully domestic cats. the relationship between feral cat social and vocal behavior is important because of the markedly different ecology of feral and domestic cats, and enhanced comprehension of the repertoire and potential information content of feral cat calls can provide both better understanding of the domestication and socialization process, and impr ... | 2017 | 29491992 |
| the ancient maya imported dogs and kept wild cats. | | 2018 | 32099163 |
| low rates of hybridization between european wildcats and domestic cats in a human-dominated landscape. | hybridization between wild species and their domestic congeners is considered a major threat for wildlife conservation. genetic integrity of the european wildcat, for instance, is a concern as they are outnumbered by domestic cats by several orders of magnitude throughout its range. we genotyped 1,071 individual wildcat samples obtained from hair traps and roadkills collected across the highly fragmented forests of western central europe, in germany and luxembourg, to assess domestic cat introgr ... | 2018 | 29468044 |
| practical application of laparoscopic oviductal artificial insemination for the propagation of domestic cats and wild felids. | ai was first reported in cats almost 50 years ago but, unlike ai in other domesticated animals (e.g. dogs, cattle, horses), has not been widely used for routine propagation by veterinarians or breeders. anatomical and physiological challenges with cats have hindered the efficiency of ai using standardised transcervical approaches applied to other species. development of laparoscopic oviductal ai (lo-ai) has helped overcome some of these barriers and, during the past 7 years, produced high pregna ... | 2018 | 32188540 |
| spirometra erinaceieuropaei in a wildcat (felis silvestris) in iran. | the zoonotic helminth, spirometra, has several species with almost global distribution. herein, we describe the first detailed molecular detection of spirometra erinaceieuropaei in a road-killed wildcat (felis silvestris) in iran and its identification at the species level using co1 gene. genomic dna was extracted using ctab extraction method. the dna then was applied for pcr amplification of cytochrome c oxidase subunit i (co1) gene. afterwards, pcr product was sequenced and obtained data were ... | 2017 | 31014600 |
| evaluation of raw pork as a commercially manufactured diet option for zoo-managed african wildcats (felis silvestris lybica). | second to beef, pork is a major protein source produced in the us. properly sourced and handled pork could be utilized as a protein option for zoo-managed carnivores. concerns of high levels of microbial populations in raw meat diets are common. the objectives of this study were to determine apparent total tract macronutrient and energy digestibility and fecal scores from cats fed a commercially manufactured raw pork-based diet compared with commercially available raw carnivore diets formulated ... | 2017 | 32704663 |
| a serological survey of common feline pathogens in free-living european wildcats (felis silvestris) in central spain. | twenty-five serum samples of 22 free-living european wildcats (felis silvestris) captured from 1991 to 1993 in central spain were tested for evidence of exposure to seven feline pathogens. all the wildcats but one (95.4%) presented evidence of contact with at least one of the agents (mean = 2.2). contact with feline leukemia virus (felv) was detected in 81% of the wildcats (antibodies, 77%; antigen p27, 15%). antibodies to feline calicivirus (fcv, 80%), feline herpesvirus (fhv, 20%), feline parv ... | 2009 | 32214938 |
| a household case evidences shorter shedding of sars-cov-2 in naturally infected cats compared to their human owners. | severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (sars-cov-2) has been detected in domestic and wild cats. however, little is known about natural viral infections of domestic cats, although their importance for modelling disease spread, informing strategies for managing positive human-animal relationships and disease prevention. here, we describe the sars-cov-2 infection in a household of two human adults and sibling cats (one male and two females) using real-time rt-pcr, an elisa test, viral seq ... | 2021 | 33317424 |
| feline coronavirus and feline infectious peritonitis in nondomestic felid species. | feline coronavirus (fcov) is reported worldwide and known to cause disease in domestic and nondomestic felid species. although fcov often results in mild to inapparent disease, a small subset of cats succumb to the fatal, systemic disease feline infectious peritonitis (fip). an outbreak of fip in cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus) in a zoological collection demonstrated the devastating effect of fcov introduction into a naïve group of animals. in addition to cheetahs, fip has been described in european ... | 2021 | 33827157 |