Mapping London's cat population
Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is asking Londoners to add their pet cats' details to its online map, to help gather information about the city's feline population.
Cat Map is designed to chart every cat in the world, allowing users to upload a photo of their pet cat, as well as selecting its gender, age and colouring. These details will then be uploaded onto the interactive map.
This technique mimics those used by field conservationists when recording the location and number of individual mammals in the wild.
Though ZSL London Zoo will be concentrating on statistics from London alone, owners from all over the world are able to add their cat's details to the map.
Dubbed the most inclusive survey on the capital's cat population to date, Cat Map will enable ZSL London Zoo staff to monitor the city's cat-stats. As such, staff have already created profiles for the zoo's newest big-cat additions – Jae Jae and Melati.
The launch coincides with the zoo's brand new Tiger Territory enclosure, set to open this March. The enclosure will inhabit a number of critically-endangered Sumatran tigers, including Jae Jae and Melati, who belong to a worldwide breeding programme.
Filip Hnizdo, creator of Cat Map, said: "Our two new tigers are big cat news, but we think little cats are important too.
"Tigers are the world's favourite animal and an iconic species in every culture. We want to see just how important their smaller counterparts are to London's residents.
"Cat Map is the one-stop-shop to find out just how cat-mad Londoners are."
Click here to add your cat to Cat Map.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
