The Scottish wildcat is one of Britain's most endangered mammals. Hybridisation with domestic cats and habitat loss threaten the remaining population, making conservation welfare-critical.
Scottish wildcat conservation sits at the intersection of wildlife welfare and domestic cat management. Feral cats living in wildcat strongholds face welfare challenges from disease, injury, and food insecurity; they also threaten the survival of the wildcat through hybridisation. Compassionate solutions that address both feral cat welfare and wildcat conservation through neutering programmes are more effective and ethical than lethal feral cat control. Captive-bred wildcats for reintroduction must be managed to maintain wildcat-appropriate behaviour and avoid human imprinting.