Thesis Proposal
The cost of the outdoor cat: rehabilitation of willdlife in Southern Pennsylvania
Raven Ridge Wildlife Center (RRWC) is a rehabilitation center in Lancaster County for native wildlife receiving nearly 1000 animals in its first year. We specialize in mammals and rabies vector species but also raise and triage many birds each year. One of the biggest reasons animals are brought into treatment is due to an encounter with a domestic cat. All cat attack victims receive antibiotics upon admission. Many receive pain medication, fluid therapy and other specialized veterinary care. Even with this early intervention, complications related to bacterial infection, wounds and shock often result in the death of the patient. In the US, free-ranging domestic cats kill an estimated 1.4-3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion mammals annually.
With my research, I hope to determine differences between cat attack victims and patients that come in for other reasons (orphans, habitat removals, hit by car, etc.). I also hope to quantify the effects on other animals not directly attacked by cats- mostly juveniles who are orphaned by their mother being attacked. By gathering this data, I can determine what it is costing RRWC (a non-profit 501c3 organization with no government funding) to treat these victims. Using previously published estimates, I can also determine approximately how many other animals are being attacked and suffering without receiving any type of care.
Hypothesis Statement: My objective is to document the effects of feral and outdoor cats on Pennsylvania’s native wildlife as they are admitted for rehabilitation to Raven Ridge Wildlife Center. I hypothesize that the center will see increased intakes during the breeding seasons for each species and from urban/suburban areas. Additionally, I hypothesize that victims of cat attacks will have lower survival rates than other patients of their species admitted for different reasons.
