Project description
The role of cats in socio-ecological conflicts
As we face the sixth mass extinction and unprecedented socio-ecological challenges, cats (both companions and predators) stand at the centre of tensions between biodiversity conservation and animal welfare. Existing governance models, reliant on technocratic, post-political, and expert-driven solutions, fail to capture cultural, ethical, and emotional dimensions, leaving unreconciled divergent knowledges, values, and practices. the ERC-funded FRONTCAT project will answer these questions: How do cats’ dual role illuminate tensions between conservation, care, and rural livelihoods? How can cat-related issues bridge rural-urban divides and populist narratives? How might governance integrate rural perspectives, conservation goals, and gendered caregiving? Based in Spain, FRONTCAT will advance interdisciplinary multispecies governance.
Objective
As we face the sixth mass extinction and unprecedented socio-ecological challenges, cats—both cherished companions and devastating predators—stand at the center of escalating tensions between biodiversity conservation and animal welfare. Existing governance models, reliant on technocratic, post-political, and expert-driven solutions, fail to capture the cultural, ethical, and emotional dimensions of socio-ecological cat-related conflicts, leaving unreconciled divergent knowledges, values, and practices attached to urban and rural livelihoods. FRONTCAT addresses these gaps by asking: 1) How do cats’ dual role as pets and pests illuminate tensions between conservation efforts, animal care, and rural livelihoods? 2) How can cat-related issues help bridge socio-ecological conflicts shaped by rural-urban divides and populist narratives? 3) How might governance frameworks better integrate rural perspectives, conservation goals, and gendered dimensions of animal caregiving? FRONTCAT advances a groundbreaking interdisciplinary approach to multispecies governance, integrating political ecology, feminist care ethics, Science and Technology Studies, environmental history, and participatory visual anthropology. Anchored in Spain—a biodiversity hotspot with entrenched rural-urban divides and strong animal welfare movements—I will explore how cat conflicts mediate human-animal-environment relations, the historical roots of cat conflicts, the rise of rural populism, and the gendered dimensions of care. These insights reshape how we address socio-ecological conflicts in a more-than-human world. FRONTCAT sets a paradigm shift by understanding multispecies coexistence and advancing the frontiers of socio-ecological research. Its theoretical innovations and participatory methodologies offer replicable, context-sensitive strategies for reconciling cultural values, ecological imperatives, and ethical commitments, providing key insights for navigating global sustainability challenges
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
28006 Madrid
Spain
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