11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
[HTT21-P04] On the Ecology of Small Animals in the Urban Space
-For Cats without Owners-
Keywords:Cat, Route census method, GIS
1. Introduction
In recent years, households gradually are welcoming animals into their families. The number of cats is increasing because they are easy to keep and cost less to keep, and as a result, we are seeing more and more ownerless cats. On the other hand, there are many complaints about feces damage, neighborhood problems, and ownerless cats, and abandoned cats and their behavior have become a problem.
In this study, we investigate the causes of stress between cats and people in order to propose an urban space design where cats and people can live together comfortably.
2. Purpose and methodology of research
The research method was to conduct with a questionnaire survey in the target district A, where it has districts the eastern community cat activities and the western non – community cat activities, and to investigate people's impressions of ownerless cats. Based on the results, we searched the relationship between the range of the cats' activities and those districts, subsequently grasped the part of the stress and the dissatisfaction that people feel toward ownerless cats with GIS analysis to acquire a best idea for comfortable environment on each other.
3. Questionnaire of target district A
By using questionnaire survey, we aimed to find out which areas suffer the most damage from ownerless cats, and what kind of impressions people have of ownerless cats in the areas where community cat activities are being conducted.
The survey was founded that many people had a bad impression of local cats because they didn’t know about local cat activities or local cats. Therefore, we considered that those who recognize the community cat activities are increased, we will be able to improve their impression of cats.
4. Understanding the range of action of cats
This survey was conducted to find out the cause of the high level of damage by examining the number and range of cats actually living in Target Area A based on the results of the questionnaire for this survey and route census method.
We created a cat chart and examined the number of cats inhabiting Target Area A. We were able to confirm that there are 13 cats in the eastern area where community cat activities are conducted and 8 cats in the western area where they are not.
In the route census method, the locations of cats were recorded for a specific period and time, and the minimum and maximum values of the cat's range of activity were added.
The number of cats inhabiting the target area A and the range of their activities were determined from the cat activity range survey. It became clear that the range of cat activity and damage were related.
5. GIS Analysis and discussion
Based on the results from the questionnaires, we targeted the most common damage caused by feces by using questionnaires rather than GIS analysis. The results of the questionnaire were color-coded according in the GIS map to the percentage of each section where they were collected.
In the eastern part of the city, where there are no community cat activities, the cats are fed privately. In this case, no one was setting up toilets or disposing of the feces, so the cats were defecating in their preferred places, which may have caused the feces damage to spread widely.
6. Scatter plot
Since there was a relationship between those who thought the local cats were bad and those who suffered damage, we think that if damage is reduced, the aversion to local cats can be eliminated.
7. Conclusion
In this study, we analyzed the lives of humans and ownerless cats. Small animals and humans in the city live in different dimensions, and when they come into contact with each other, a variety of positive and negative aspects of life are created. By approaching the issue from a different dimension, there is a possibility that it will lead to opportunities, methods, and space design.
In recent years, households gradually are welcoming animals into their families. The number of cats is increasing because they are easy to keep and cost less to keep, and as a result, we are seeing more and more ownerless cats. On the other hand, there are many complaints about feces damage, neighborhood problems, and ownerless cats, and abandoned cats and their behavior have become a problem.
In this study, we investigate the causes of stress between cats and people in order to propose an urban space design where cats and people can live together comfortably.
2. Purpose and methodology of research
The research method was to conduct with a questionnaire survey in the target district A, where it has districts the eastern community cat activities and the western non – community cat activities, and to investigate people's impressions of ownerless cats. Based on the results, we searched the relationship between the range of the cats' activities and those districts, subsequently grasped the part of the stress and the dissatisfaction that people feel toward ownerless cats with GIS analysis to acquire a best idea for comfortable environment on each other.
3. Questionnaire of target district A
By using questionnaire survey, we aimed to find out which areas suffer the most damage from ownerless cats, and what kind of impressions people have of ownerless cats in the areas where community cat activities are being conducted.
The survey was founded that many people had a bad impression of local cats because they didn’t know about local cat activities or local cats. Therefore, we considered that those who recognize the community cat activities are increased, we will be able to improve their impression of cats.
4. Understanding the range of action of cats
This survey was conducted to find out the cause of the high level of damage by examining the number and range of cats actually living in Target Area A based on the results of the questionnaire for this survey and route census method.
We created a cat chart and examined the number of cats inhabiting Target Area A. We were able to confirm that there are 13 cats in the eastern area where community cat activities are conducted and 8 cats in the western area where they are not.
In the route census method, the locations of cats were recorded for a specific period and time, and the minimum and maximum values of the cat's range of activity were added.
The number of cats inhabiting the target area A and the range of their activities were determined from the cat activity range survey. It became clear that the range of cat activity and damage were related.
5. GIS Analysis and discussion
Based on the results from the questionnaires, we targeted the most common damage caused by feces by using questionnaires rather than GIS analysis. The results of the questionnaire were color-coded according in the GIS map to the percentage of each section where they were collected.
In the eastern part of the city, where there are no community cat activities, the cats are fed privately. In this case, no one was setting up toilets or disposing of the feces, so the cats were defecating in their preferred places, which may have caused the feces damage to spread widely.
6. Scatter plot
Since there was a relationship between those who thought the local cats were bad and those who suffered damage, we think that if damage is reduced, the aversion to local cats can be eliminated.
7. Conclusion
In this study, we analyzed the lives of humans and ownerless cats. Small animals and humans in the city live in different dimensions, and when they come into contact with each other, a variety of positive and negative aspects of life are created. By approaching the issue from a different dimension, there is a possibility that it will lead to opportunities, methods, and space design.