A University of Guelph research study wants to find out what outdoor cats in the South Okanagan are getting up to.

Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Jonathan Chu

An Ontario university student is looking for outdoor cat owners in the South Okanagan who would be interested in putting cameras on their pets so researchers can study what they're getting up to.

University of Guelph PhD student in integrative biology Jonathan Chu is looking for outdoor cat owners in and around Penticton, Oliver and Osoyoos.

Owners could get a glimpse into their cats' adventures and contribute to an ecological study that strives to find out what impact outdoor cats have on wildlife and how many risks they encounter when they are outdoors.

"We want to see what cats are doing because we're concerned at the potential wildlife that they could be eating in the outdoors because past research has shown that cats can hunt a lot from our environment. The cameras will help us see how much, per cat, is being eaten as well as help us determine exactly which species are being eaten," Chu says.

"We also want to know what kind of welfare risks cats face in the outdoors. Outdoor cats have been shown to have lower welfare than indoor cats; they have lower lifespans, they can be hit by cars, they can attract diseases, etc. So we want to see how frequently they encounter those risks: how many times they cross roads, how many times they travel into unsafe areas."

The study was first conducted in Guelph, but Chu is now interested in studying cats in the South Okanagan because it offers a unique comparative angle to the research.

"The proportion of people who let their cats go outside in British Columbia is higher than in Ontario, which is an interesting comparison point for our study because a higher amount of cats outside could have a higher impact on the wildlife," Chu says.

"The South Okanagan also happens to be a unique bioregion in Canada and there are many species at risk there so it will be interesting to see if cats are impacting those specific species."

On top of contributing to the advancement of ecological science, owners who volunteer their cats will be able to access some of the footage obtained from the camera.

"Participants will get a 20-minute highlight reel of the recording we get from their cat's camera which is the main participation incentive. They will also be entered in a draw to receive one of three $50 gift cards to a pet supply store of their choice."

Participants in the study should know that the process is very simple and is interesting to those who are curious to know what happens when their cats go outdoors.

"These cats go on really cool adventures and it's really fun to see what your cat is doing in the outdoors so, even if you aren't interested in some of the ecological or welfare insights, it would be a fun thing to do and it takes very little effort; you just put the camera on the cat's collar when he goes outside and you get some insights about some things you may not know about your cat when they go outside."

Chu's research and collaboration with cat owners also strives to bring cat owners to the conversation surrounding outdoor cats, their impacts on wildlife and their welfare.

"We hope bringing cat owners to the conversation of ecological research will start to build this community in which we can try to build better communication around the issues surrounding cats and a better way to make management benefit cats, wildlife and humans alike."

Those who are interested in participating should visit the research study's website here and fill out the questionnaire.

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