Martina Cecchetti

About me

I am a researcher in cat ecology and behaviour, affiliated with the University of Exeter, with extensive experience studying owned cat hunting behaviour and managing unowned cat populations across multiple island contexts. My research focuses on developing evidence-based solutions to reduce cat predation on wildlife while ensuring that feline welfare is not compromised.

I am currently the Vice President of Berta maris, an organisation dedicated to island biodiversity conservation. In this role, I coordinate and lead Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programmes, including on Linosa Island, where sterilisation has reached 95% of the local cat population (https://www.bertamaris.com/en/2022/05/18/progetto-gatti-linosa/). We are now expanding these programmes to other Italian islands, integrating population management with biodiversity protection and stakeholder engagement.

In 2022, I was awarded the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship for a project on Linosa Island, a biodiversity hotspot, where I investigated the consumption of migratory birds by domestic cats.

While during my PhD at the University of Exeter, I led the ecological component of an interdisciplinary project aimed at developing effective, innovative, and non-invasive methods to reduce hunting behaviour in domestic cats without compromising their well-being (https://wildlifescience.org/portfolio/domestic-cats/).

I have completed the ISFM Advanced Feline Behaviour for Veterinary Professionals course at iCatCare.

Qualifications

2021 PhD ‘Ecology and management of predation of wildlife by domestic cats’ (University of Exeter, UK)

2015 MSc in Evolution of Animal and Human Behaviour (University of Turin, Italy)

2012 BSc in Biological Sciences (University of Perugia, Italy)