11. Ivy McDermott- Invasive Species and a Healthy Ecology (outside readings)

    For my thesis paper this semester, I talked about invasive species and a healthy ecology. I wanted to highlight a common but perhaps overlooked example, and talked about my experiences. The common domestic cat is an example of an invasive species that affects bird and rodent populations. They can also transmit diseases between other cats and other mammals, including humans. A concerning example of this is avian flu, according to the CDC, which can be transmitted from a housecat coming into contact with an infected bird. Human cases of avian influenza are rare but not impossible, especially if they are in close contact with an infected companion such as their housecat. It’s important to keep your cats indoors, especially during the summer and spring, although the weather is nice and it may be tempting. Cats should only be outdoors under supervision in case they come into contact with any wild life. Feral cat populations are another problem that we are facing. They have the ability, as seen in the Pacific Islands, to presume the role of the apex predator and hunt certain prey to extinction. Yet another example of how humans have shifted ecology and the landscape and now have to aid and supplement their mistakes.

Duffy, David Cameron and Paula Capece. "Biology and Impacts of Pacific Island Invasive Species. 7. the Domestic Cat (Felis Catus)1." Pacific Science 66, no. 2 (04, 2012): 173-212. https://cnu.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/biology-impacts-pacific-island-invasive-species-7/docview/1009895470/se-2.

Influenza in Cats | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) | CDC. “Influenza in Cats | Seasonal Influenza (Flu) |  CDC,” September 27, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/other/flu-in-cats/index.html.


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