Abstract
Environmental protection and animal welfare are closely related when it comes to native wildlife, but they clash when it comes to managing introduced predators that pose a threat to local species. The objective of protecting biodiversity, which implies eradicating these predators, then clashes with the objective of defending animal welfare, particularly when it comes to sensitive species such as mammals. The cat Felis catus enjoys the status and protection of a domestic animal, but it is also a formidable predator, preying on birds, small mammals and amphibians. It thus combines a high potential for harming biodiversity with a strong emotional attachment on the part of the population. We use a socio-ecological and legal approach to analyze various cases of cat management, and illustrate how environmental ethics can help us understand the link between nature protection, animal protection and social acceptability.
