A psychological model to understand background reasons for different attitudes and behaviors of youth residents in relation to free-roaming cat problems on a human-inhabited World Heritage Island in Japan

A psychological model reveals that cat owners and those who believe cats control rodents are more likely to feed outdoor cats, exacerbating ecological harm. While perceptions of negative impacts on people—such as zoonoses—strongly influence support for outdoor cat management, attitudes toward ecological damage have a weaker effect. The study highlights the need for targeted education, particularly among youth, to shift behaviors and reduce free-roaming cat populations, which threaten native species on UNESCO-listed islands like Tokunoshima in Japan.

Qi, H., Watari, Y., & Miyashita, T. (2022). A psychological model to understand background reasons for different attitudes and behaviors of youth residents in relation to free-roaming cat problems on a human-inhabited World Heritage Island in Japan. Global Ecology and Conservation, 34, e02009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02009