Causes of Death in Stray Cat Colonies of Milan: A Five-Year Report
Valeria Grieco,
Paola Crepaldi,
Chiara Giudice,
Paola Roccabianca,
Giuseppe Sironi,
Eleonora Brambilla,
Sonia Magistrelli,
Giuliano Ravasio,
Federico Granatiero,
Anna Invernizzi,
Mario Caniatti
Affiliations
Valeria Grieco
Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET), University of Milan, Via dell’ Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Paola Crepaldi
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Production, Landscape, Agroenergy (DiSAA), University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
Chiara Giudice
Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET), University of Milan, Via dell’ Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Paola Roccabianca
Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET), University of Milan, Via dell’ Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Giuseppe Sironi
Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET), University of Milan, Via dell’ Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Eleonora Brambilla
Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET), University of Milan, Via dell’ Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Sonia Magistrelli
Agenzia della Tutela della Salute (ATS) città Metropolitana di Milano, Dipartimento Veterinario, Via Amendola 3, 20090 Milano, Italy
Giuliano Ravasio
Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET), University of Milan, Via dell’ Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Federico Granatiero
Clinica Veterinaria Prealpi, Via Monviso 2, 22070 Limido Comasco, Italy
Anna Invernizzi
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER), Via Giovanni Celoria 12, 20133 Milano, Italy
Mario Caniatti
Department of Veterinary Medicine (DIMEVET), University of Milan, Via dell’ Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
The presence of cats in urban environments has a long history. In Italy, stray cats are protected by national and regional laws, and programs of neutering and reintroduction to colonies are ongoing. Colony cats have been widely studied from a behavioral perspective, while surveys regarding their causes of death are limited, although they may provide relevant information related to public health and cat welfare. This retrospective study provides pathological descriptions and statistical analyses of the causes of death of 186 cats from 100 colonies in the city of Milan. Inflammatory processes represent the primary cause of death (37.7%) and include common feline infectious diseases such as feline panleukopenia (67.5%), particularly in kittens, and feline infectious peritonitis (32.5%), most common in adult cats. Trauma was found to be a common cause of death of young/adult cats (14%) with a generally good body condition, while severe parasitosis was less represented (2.6%). The death of old cats was statistically associated with organ failure (24.7%), particularly renal failure, and tumors (11.8%). Knowledge of the most common causes of death of colony cats could make an important contribution to the health monitoring of these cats and sanitary control of their habitats and provide information on possible related emerging animal welfare concerns.
