Applying One Health to Free-Roaming Cats

Abstract

Abstract One Health seeks the optimal health of people, animals, and the environment through an integrated approach to the treatment and prevention of disease. While cats and other animals can be vectors of zoonotic diseases, the “moral panic” over free-roaming cats should be viewed with great skepticism. We should instead manage our relationship to cats, wildlife, and their environments with an eye to preventative measures that manage risk while respecting the well-being of individual cats and wildlife.