(CNN) If you have a cat, you may fall in one of five categories ranging from "conscientious caretaker" to "tolerant guardian," according to researchers at the University of Exeter in England. Domestic cats fall on a spectrum based on their proclivity to hunting and roaming and the supervision levels of their owners can affect how the feline pets interact with their surrounding environments. These groupings were determined as part of the Exeter team's ongoing research project "Cats, Cat Owners and Wildlife" which aims to identify ways for owners to manage their cats while reducing wildlife killing. In the UK, where the ongoing study is being conducted, there are upwards of 10 million domestic cats by some estimates. "I think normally it's framed as a debate between cat owners or cat advocates and conservationists, particularly bird conservationists," says Sarah Crowley, an anthrozoologist based in Exeter's Centre for Geography and Environmental Science (CGES).

Source: CNN September 08, 2020 14:48 UTC