Toolkit to Address Free-ranging Domestic Cats on Agency Lands Managed for Native Wildlife and Ecosystem Health

Native flora and fauna of North America face numerous threats, and impacts from invasive species are some of the most challenging. Free-ranging domestic cats (Felis catus) are extremely harmful to wildlife and the environment. The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) developed a toolkit to provide guidance to fish and wildlife agencies as they address free-ranging domestic cats on agency lands managed for native wildlife and ecosystem health. Topics in this document include wildlife conservation, infectious diseases, legal issues, education and outreach, human dimensions, partnerships, management strategies, and model regulatory and legal language. This toolkit is not intended to be prescriptive or to mandate any actions by agencies at the state, federal, tribal, or territorial level. Instead, this document should be regarded as a set of recommendations for agencies and other landowners to consider as they develop or revise their own programs.