I was recently asked to attend a conference on Outdoor Cats, and to say something about ethics and policy with respect to their management.

Cats can be managed?

Seriously, the issue is important because of disputes over the impact that outdoor cats have on native biodiversity, our moral responsibilities to cats and wildlife alike, and abiding concerns over the use of both non-lethal and lethal management practices. The can range from adoption, trap-neuter-return, and sanctuary programs, to hunting, trapping, poisoning and lethal injections.

The Outdoor Cat: Science and Policy from a Global Perspective will be held from 03-05 December 2012 at the Marina del Rey Marriott in Marina del Rey, California. The first two days of presentations are open to the public.

I am a new to this issue, so will be studying the literature rather intensively throughout November. I may not write as much as usual, but I do promise to share a brief synopsis of the conference and what I learn when I return in December.

Image: Feral Cat, Wikipedia.