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Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term quality of life in cats following perineal urethrostomy. Methods: This study comprised a retrospective case series of 74 cats with urinary obstructions that received perineal urethrostomies at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Hospital between September 2015 and July 2017. Medical records were reviewed for information on the number of obstructions prior to surgery, urinary tract problems at the time of surgery and other potential factors influencing long-term welfare. Owners were surveyed by telephone and text 5–29 months after their cat's surgery. Responses were compiled and analyzed to determine owner perception of welfare postsurgery, and to identify patterns in medical history and welfare outcomes. Results: In total, 105 cat owners were eligible for the survey; 74 responded. Altogether, 100% of responding individuals reported at least the same quality of life postsurgery compared with the cat's quality of life before demonstrating urinary problems (48% reported better). On a quality-of-life scale of 1–10 (10 = excellent), 100% of responding cat owners reported at least 7; 75% reported 10. Conclusions and relevance: Quality-of-life outcomes for cats 5–29 months after receiving perineal urethrostomy surgery were reported to be very good. Given this finding, and that perineal urethrostomy surgery should mitigate future blockages, we suggest considering perineal urethrostomy surgery as a standard tool to manage urinary obstructions in cats. The needs of the specific client and patient, including risks, costs and welfare of the cats, should drive the options for management of urinary obstructions in male cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected area downgrading, downsizing and degazettement (PADDD) is a global phenomenon that has not received formal attention in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) policies designed to reduce forest carbon emissions and conserve biodiversity. Here, we examine how PADDD affects deforestation and forest carbon emissions. We documented 174 enacted and 8 proposed PADDD events affecting more than 48,000 km2 in three REDD+ priority countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malaysia, and Peru. Where sufficient data were available, we estimated deforestation rates and the quantity and economic value of forest carbon already lost and at risk in three land tenure classes: PADDDed, protected, and never-protected. PADDDed forests experienced deforestation and forest carbon emissions greatly exceeding rates in protected areas and slightly exceeding rates in never-protected forests. PADDD represents business-as-usual for protected areas, posing substantial risk to forests and forest carbon stocks. REDD+ policies have substantive implications for protected area biodiversity and forest carbon emissions; the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ provides new, but insufficient, guidance for nations to address these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National parks and other protected areas (PAs) are the foundation of global efforts to conserve biological diversity. Conservation policy and practice assume that PAs are permanent fixtures on the landscape, but scattered evidence points to widespread-yet largely overlooked-PA downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD). As a preliminary investigation of PADDD and its implications for conservation science and policy, we explore the published literature and contemporary media reports. We identify 89 historic instances of PADDD, in 27 countries, since 1900. Contemporary accounts reveal that PADDD has recently occurred or is currently under consideration in at least 12 countries worldwide. Proximate causes of PADDD vary widely, but center on access to and use of natural resources. Case studies from India and South America highlight the fact that PAs are socially defined and socially constructed governance regimes, responsive to social pressures-including conservation demands-at local to global scales. PADDD challenges longstanding assumptions underlying conservation policy and practice, including efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation (REDD), and underscores the need for resilient and robust conservation strategies. Because many fundamental questions regarding PADDD remain unanswered, further research is required to understand this conservation phenomenon and develop tailored policy responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]