摘要：The feral domestic cat (Felis catus) is a predatory invasive species with documented negativeeffects on native wildlife. The issue of appropriate and acceptable feral cat management is a matter ofcontentious debate in cities and states across the United States due to concerns for wildlife conservation,cat welfare, and public health. Common management strategies include: Trap-Neuter-Release, Trap-Neuter-Release with removal of kittens for adoption and Trap-Euthanize. Very little empirical evidenceexists relevant to the efficacy of alternative options and a model-based approach is needed to predictpopulation response and extend calculations to impact on wildlife. We have created a structured decisionsupport model representing multiple stakeholder groups to facilitate the coordinated management of feralcats. We used a probabilistic graphical model (a Bayesian Belief Network) to evaluate and rank alternativemanagement decisions according to efficacy, societal preferences, and cost. Our model predicts that Trap-Neuter-Release strategies would be optimal management decisions for small local populations of less thanfifty cats while Trap-Euthanize would be the optimal management decision for populations greater than50 cats. Removal is predicted to reduce feral cat populations quickly and prevent cats from taking a largenumber of wildlife prey
