Research overview: contraception and reproductive management in captive felids

Controlling reproduction is essential for managing captive cat populations within space and genetic limits, but contraceptive methods carry welfare and health considerations. This overview surveys options used in felids, including hormonal implants, GnRH agonists and surgical approaches, and their efficacy, reversibility and side effects, notably the association of some progestin-based contraceptives with uterine and mammary pathology in cats. It discusses how reproductive management intersects with welfare, allowing or withholding the behavioural experience of breeding and rearing, and with conservation genetics. It also covers monitoring reproductive hormones non-invasively to time interventions. The synthesis frames contraception as a necessary management tool whose welfare implications, both behavioural and clinical, must be weighed against the harms of uncontrolled breeding.