WHISKER WATCH LA
As cities continue to fragment natural habitats and reshape species interactions via urbanization, it’s vital to further our understanding of how urban pressures and behavior contribute to wildlife disease spread. This project aims to understand how ecological and social factors impact disease spread in community cats. Scroll down to learn more about the project and to report a community cat!
Why cats?
Community cats are an ideal model for this study as they stand at a fundamental intersection of Los Angeles County’s ecological landscape and the transmission of Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) - a prominent infectious disease; thus making them essential in understanding environmental and disease dynamics.
Why Los Angeles?
Los Angeles has a considerably large and growing community cat population that is estimated to be anywhere from 1-3 million free roaming cats. Due to the dense human population and the history of habitat alterations in LA, this area serves as an ideal location to study the dynamics of humans and wildlife.
HOW and WHY to get involved!
A unique and central aspect of this study is its reliance on community participation. Residents across LA County can contribute our study by reporting outdoor cat sightings through our public survey (see link to the right). These reports will not only enhance mapping of colony locations but also enrich behavioral and ecological datasets, making this a citizen science-driven initiative.
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Our next steps in this project is to partner with local veterinary clinics to obtain health records and conduct health screenings of city cats. But before we can do this WE NEED YOUR HELP to identify where community cats are across Los Angeles County.
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Results will inform targeted public health and animal welfare strategies, enhance existing TNR protocols, and foster greater awareness and involvement in community-based feline health initiatives.