Abstract
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
| Translated title of the contribution | Impact of predation by domestic cats Felis catus in an urban area |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Pages (from-to) | 302 - 312 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Mammal Review |
| Volume | 35 |
| Publication status | Published - 2005 |