| Title: |
The small home ranges and large local ecological impacts of pet cats. |
| Authors: |
Kays, R.1,2 (AUTHOR) rwkays@ncsu.edu; Dunn, R. R.3 (AUTHOR); Parsons, A. W.1,2 (AUTHOR); Mcdonald, B.1,2 (AUTHOR); Perkins, T.4 (AUTHOR); Powers, S. A.5 (AUTHOR); Shell, L.6 (AUTHOR); McDonald, J. L.7 (AUTHOR); Cole, H.7 (AUTHOR); Kikillus, H.8 (AUTHOR); Woods, L.8 (AUTHOR); Tindle, H.9 (AUTHOR); Roetman, P.9 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: |
Animal Conservation. Oct2020, Vol. 23 Issue 5, p516-523. 8p. |
| Subject Terms: |
*Ecological impact; *Predatory animals; Cats; Coyote; Pets |
| Abstract: |
Domestic cats (Felis catus) are a conservation concern because they kill billions of native prey each year, but without spatial context the ecological importance of pets as predators remains uncertain. We worked with citizen scientists to track 925 pet cats from six countries, finding remarkably small home ranges (3.6 ± 5.6 ha). Only three cats ranged > 1 km2 and we found no relationship between home range size and the presence of larger native predators (i.e. coyotes, Canis latrans). Most (75%) cats used primarily (90%) disturbed habitats. Owners reported that their pets killed an average of 3.5 prey items/month, leading to an estimated ecological impact per cat of 14.2‐38.9 prey ha−1 yr−1. This is similar or higher than the per‐animal ecological impact of wild carnivores but the effect is amplified by the high density of cats in neighborhoods. As a result, pet cats around the world have an ecological impact greater than native predators but concentrated within ~100 m of their homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| : |
Copyright of Animal Conservation is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| Database: |
GreenFILE |