Ranging characteristics of the domestic cat (Felis catus) in an urban environment

In many countries, high densities of domestic cats (Felis catus) are found in urban habitats where they have the potential to exert considerable predation pressure on their prey. However, little is known of the ranging behaviour of cats in the UK. Twenty cats in suburban Reading, UK, were fitted with GPS trackers to quantify movement patterns. Cats were monitored during the summer and winter for an average of 6.8 24 h periods per season. Mean daily area ranged (95 % MCP) was 1.94 ha. Including all fixes, mean maximum area ranged was 6.88 ha. These are broadly comparable to those observed in urban areas in other countries. Daily area ranged was not affected by the cat’s sex or the season, but was significantly larger at night than during the day. There was no relationship between area ranged and habitat availability. Taking available habitat into account, cat ranging area contained significantly more garden and other green space than urban habitats. If cats were shown to be negatively affecting prey populations, one mitigation option for consideration in housing developments proposed near important wildlife sites would be to incorporate a ‘buffer zone’ in which cat ownership was not permitted. Absolute maximum daily area ranged by a cat in this study was 33.78 ha. This would correspond to an exclusory limit of approximately 300–400 m to minimise the negative effects of cat predation, but this may need to be larger if cat ranging behaviour is negatively affected by population density

Curial exegese do art. 14, caput, da lei 9.307/96: hermenêutica lege ferenda ou real vontade do legislador?

Considerando toda a evolução da ciência processual, não há mais qualquer dúvida acerca da importância de se garantir juízes imparciais para o exercício da atividade jurisdicional. Em sede de arbitragem, a preocupação não poderia ser diferente. Dado que o árbitro exerce igualmente as prerrogativas concedidas pela jurisdição, sendo árbitro de fato e de direito, a necessidade de que sejam pessoas munidas de inquestionável imparcialidade e independência em relação às partes é ainda maior, dado que a confiança é o principal requisito para a função de tal munus. Desta forma, o trabalho pretende compreender se pode o princípio da autonomia da vontade das partes relativizar a proibição estabelecida em lei, que impede a atuação de árbitros quando incidentes nas hipóteses de impedimento e suspeição.

Fissura placentária de gatas SRD, Felis catus - Linnaeus, 1758: aspectos macro e microscópicos

Nossa pesquisa consiste no estudo esquemático macroscópico na placenta de gatos e a sua caracterização como tipo, placenta zonária, que 62,5% dos casos apresenta uma fissura na área distal do funículo umbilical. Esse é formado por uma área justa fetal, área justa placentária e área média, encontrando achados histológicos de 2 artérias, uma veia, 2 pedículos vitelínicos e 2 pedículos alantoidianos. Na fissura, encontramos um epitélio alantoidiano cobrindo esta área em 10% dos casos e, em 90% dos achados foram encontrados um trofoblasto diminuído comparado com outras áreas placentárias fora da fissura. Portanto, a placenta felina, com sua relação materno fetal mostra uma placenta zonária incompleta, diferente do ocorrido nos outros carnívoros.

Avaliação mesoscópica da origem, distribuição e ramificação do nervo radial no braço do gato doméstico (Felis catus domesticus, Linnaeus, 1758)

The present study evaluated the origin, distribution and ramification of the radial nerves were studied in 30 adult domestic cats. The sample included 15 females and 15 males of unknown breed. The specimens were fixed in 10% formaldehyde solution. The radial nerve showed many fascicles from the origin also your ramification in superficial and deep branches. Radial nerves were observed to originate, in 16 cases (26.7%), from the ventral branch of the sixth cervical spinal nerve; in 60 cases (100%), from the ventral branch of the seventh cervical spinal nerve; in 60 cases (100%), from the ventral branch of the eight cervical nerve and in 60 cases (100%), from the ventral branch of the first thoracic nerve. The radial nerves branched out, in all of the animals studied (100.0%), to the tensor fasciae antebrachii, long, accessory, medial and lateral heads of the triceps branchii and anconeus muscles. The radial nerve emits of 14 to 25 nervous branches in this region. However, the branch of the sixth cervical spinal nerve and the nervous fascicles reveal significant differences (p <= 0.05), respectively, in or with relation to sex of the animals and the studied region.

Cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) infestation in quarantined marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) populations

Marsh deer (Blastocenrs dichotomus) were captured for a research progam in Brazil and maintained in quarantine stations. After 60 days, fleas were detected on animals and identified as Ctenocephalides felis felis. Elimination of the infestation was difficult. Animal treatment with a fipronil-based compound was effective, and subsequently captured animals were treated prophylactically. Some animals remained infested, and some died from the infestation.

O gato doméstico (Felis catus) responde à sinais gestuais? possíveis implicações do convívio social

The cats (Felis catus) were domesticated about 9,500 years ago due to the advent of agriculture, being used to control the pests that devastated the food harvested. These animals went through an artificial selection and over generations and millennia had their behavior and morphology changed by humans. This process of domestication by man gave rise to a special ability, the understanding of human pointing gestures, clearly noticed while we feed our pets. Our goal in this study was to assess the comprehension of pointing gestures by cats and also verify the influence that social interactions exerts on the development of this ability. We found that experimental subjects from both groups, solitary animals and social animals, were able to follow human indication in order to find hidden food. However, social interaction had no effect on cats performances. The ability tested here probably evolved during the process of domestication of this species, and social interaction seems to exert little or no influence upon its expression

Esporotricose do gato doméstico (Felis catus): transmissão humana

No presente trabalho relata-se caso de paciente, funcionário de hospital veterinário, infectado através de arranhadura de gato doméstico portador de esporotricose. Inquérito domiciliar junto aos proprietários do animal fonte de infecção, revelou dois outros casos presuntivos de esporotricose humana transmitida por gatos, e confirmou o diagnóstico, por cultivo do Sporotrix schenckii, em 3 gatos domésticos adicionais. A esporotricose felina caracteriza-se por lesões cutâneas ulceradas e tendência à disseminação sistêmica e evolução fatal. A transmissão intra e inter-espécie é facilitada pela exuberância de fungos nas lesões cutâneas de felinos infectados.

Occurrence of Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi in a domestic cat (Felis catus) in Andradina, São Paulo, Brazil: case report

Neste trabalho, é relatada a infecção natural por Leishmania em um gato doméstico no qual, formas amastigotas do parasito foram observadas em imprint de linfonodo poplíteo. Reações sorológicas positivas e negativas foram observadas pelo teste de imunoadsorção enzimática (ELISA) e reação de imunofluorescência indireta (RIFI), respectivamente. A reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) revelou que a sequência de nucleotídeos foi idêntica à Leishmania (L.) chagasi. Este é o primeiro relato da doença em felino da cidade de Andradina, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, área considerada endêmica para leishmaniose visceral canina e humana.

Molecular detection of Leishmania sp. in cats (Felis catus) from Andradina Municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil

The aim of this work was to molecularly detect Leishmania species in 52 cats from Andradina Municipality, São Paulo State, Brazil. The direct parasitological test was performed by using imprints of poplited lymph node, bone marrow and spleen to verify amastigote forms of Leishmania spp. The samples that were positive parasitological tests were subjected to molecular analysis (PCR) and sequencing. Infection was detected for 5.76% (3/52) of the examined cats and two had presence of amastigote forms of Leishmania spp. in lymph nodes. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of kinetoplast minicircle DNA, indicated positive amplification for samples of spleen and lymph nodes and the sequencing resulted in 97% similarity with Leishmania (L) chagasi. This study proved the occurrence of infection with Leishmania (L) chagasi in felines from Andradina municipality, São Paulo State. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Morphological and functional characteristics of chilled semen obtained from domestic feline epididymides (Felis catus)

The objective of this study was to determine morphological and functional characteristics of semen retrieved from the feline epididymis before and after cooling. Sixteen adult male cats were orchiectomized. The distal portion of the epididymis and proximal part of the deferent ducts were dissected and squeezed to obtain their content. After centrifugation, the supernatant was removed, sperm were resuspended in a 0.9 mL Tris-fructose-citric acid extender containing 20% egg yolk, aliquoted into three 0.3 mL samples, placed in a refrigerator (4.8 degrees C) and cooled (0.5 degrees C/min). Semen evaluations were performed on four occassions: immediately after epididymal sperm retrieval (TO), and at 24 h (T-1), 48 h (T-2) and 72 h (T-3) after cooling. on each occasion, progressive motility, vigor and sperm morphology were determined. Mean motility and vigor decreased (P < 0.05) between each successive examination. Although the majority of sperm cell damage occurred within the first 24 h, there was a decrease (P < 0.05) in mean percentage of morphologically normal sperm between To and each evaluated time (T-1, T-2, T-3) after cooling, due to an increase in coiled and bent sperm tails. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects of cooling on the fertilizing capacity of cat epididymal spermatozoa in assisted reproduction programs. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Avaliação da maturação nuclear in vitro de oócitos de gatas domésticas (Felis catus) pré-púberes e púberes

O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a taxa de maturação nuclear in vitro de oócitos provenientes de gatas doméstica púbere e pré-púbere. Foram utilizadas 15 fêmeas felinas, 10 púberes e 5 pré-púberes; sendo os oócitos obtidos por aspiração quantificados e classificados. Os oócitos classificados como excelentes e regulares foram reunidos em grupos de 10, em meio de cultura, recobertos em óleo mineral em Placas de Petri siliconizadas e descartáveis. Após permanência em estufa, a 38°C e 5% de CO2 por 48 horas, os oócitos foram submetidos a duas lavagens com solução de hialuronidase a 0,4%, fixados em metanol/acido acético e corados com orceína acética. A avaliação da configuração cromossômica de oócitos maturados in vitro resultou em 44,68% das células em metáfase II no grupo das fêmeas púberes e 25,32% no grupo das doadoras pré-púberes, indicando que a puberdade influencia a capacidade dos oócitos se desenvolverem in vitro.

Comparison of efficiency between two artificial insemination methods using frozen-thawed semen in domestic cat (Felis catus) Artificial insemination in domestic cats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)