Data from: Popular press portrayal of issues surrounding free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus)

This dataset is comprised of variables coded/extracted from popular press articles about domestic cats (Felis catus), which were evaluated as part of a media-content analysis. Our focus was understanding how a number of issues surrounding free-roaming (feral) cats are presented and discussed in the popular press, including: - The messengers who are quoted or referenced (e.g., cat advocates, veterinarians, naturalists, researchers) - The risks and threats to which feral cats are exposed (e.g., diseases, vehicles, predation)- The impacts feral cats have on the environment, native wildlife (e.g., via predation), and threats they pose to human health (e.g., via disease transmission)- The potential strategies and tools used to manage feral cat populations and their impacts (e.g., trap-neuter-release, bylaws, public education)We used the Lexis Nexus search engine to conduct a systemic search for English-language popular print media, including news articles and bulletins, opinion-editorials, and other public notices (e.g., classifieds) published between 1990 and 2018 (see Search Terms in READ_ME file and Methods: Search in the referenced article). Using a code book we developed (see Questions Coded From Articles in READ_ME), we evaluated each article based on whether they conveyed a variety of different messages. In total, the dataset is comprised of 796 articles, with the bulk (~95%) of articles from the United States and Canada. Most of the people interviewed ("messengers") were from non-governmental organizations, mainly from cat-welfare or cat-rights groups. Researchers, shelter organizations, veterinarians, and groups that differ on how to resolve issues surrounding free-roaming cats were rarely interviewed. Most articles focused on cat welfare issues and the management strategies of euthanasia or trap-neuter-release (TNR), whereas less than one-third of the articles acknowledged that cats have any impact on wildlife or the broader environment.See READ_ME file for a full list of variable definitions.