Your cat’s scat needed for research project.

The below is an extract from the Brisbane Times article regarding a Griffith University research project into understanding the impact of felines on local wildlife.  If you’re interested in taking part, you need to complete an online survey and providing samples of your cat’s poo.  Find out more here.

Cat walking on grass
Source: Brisbane Times

A Brisbane student wants your cat’s poo in order to find out the impact your furry feline is having on local wildlife.

Griffith University Honours student Renee Piccolo has put out the call to Brisbane and Gold Coast residents to take part in an online survey to help reveal where domestic cats roam and what they hunt.

Ms Piccolo has focused her research on the potential impact domestic cats have on wildlife populations and has put the call out for cat scat, to see what felines are feasting on when they are out stalking in urban and rural areas.

Ms Piccolo was after a range of samples, from cats who are let out only at night, cats who roam 24/7 or cats kept indoors only.

The aim was to not only learn about domestic cats’ predatory behaviour on native wildlife, but to also get a spatial representation of the potential impact in each study area.

“The key benefit of this research will be a deeper understanding about the possible impacts of domestic cats in urban environments,” Ms Piccolo said.

“These data will hopefully be able to provide better information to cat owners as well as local councils to inform the development of strategies to manage urban native wildlife populations.”

Take part in the survey or find out more here.