Journal
MAMMAL REVIEW
Volume 35, Issue 3-4, Pages 302-312Publisher
BLACKWELL PUBLISHING
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2907.2005.00071.x
Keywords
conservation; feral cat; house cat; hyperpredation; urban ecology
Ask authors/readers for more resources
1. As companion animals, domestic cats Felis catus can attain very high densities, and have the potential to exert detrimental effects on prey species. Yet, there is a paucity of information on the impact of cat predation in urban areas, where most cats are likely to be present. 2. We quantified the minimum number of animals killed annually by cats in a 4.2-km(2) area of Bristol, UK, by asking owners to record prey animals returned home by their pets. The potential impact of cat predation on prey species was estimated by comparing the number of animals killed with published estimates of prey density and annual productivity. 3. Predator density was 229 cats/km(2). 4. Five mammal, 10 bird and one amphibian prey species were recorded. Mean predation rate was 21 prey/cat/annum. The most commonly recorded prey species was the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus. 5. Predation on birds was greatest in spring and summer, and probably reflected the killing of juvenile individuals. For three prey species (house sparrow Passer domesticus, dunnock Prunella modularis, robin Erithacus rubecula), estimated predation rates were high relative to annual productivity, such that predation by cats may have created a dispersal sink for juveniles from more productive neighbouring areas. The impact of cats on these species therefore warrants further investigation.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available