Abstract
Free-roaming cats are at increased risk of injuring themselves as well as other domestic and fauna species, yet relatively little is known about the frequency at which risk and predation behaviors occur in a typical day. In this study, cat risk, and predation behavioral information was collected using animal-borne video cameras and global positioning system (GPS) units that were attached to break-free cat collars. The observation period was one to three consecutive days for 37 convenience sampled free-roaming owned cats in Auckland, New Zealand. Video footage was manually reviewed and all predation and risk behavior events were recorded. These included stalking, pursuing, and seizing prey as well as altercations with other cats, ingesting harmful substances, and venturing into hazardous locations such as roads and storm drains. During the observation period, 23 of the 37 cats (62.2%) engaged in a total of 121 predation events. Of these, 40 resulted in successful prey capture with 18 of the 40 captures involving New Zealand native fauna species. Invertebrates were the most common taxa preyed upon (n = 55; 46%), followed by skinks (n = 8; 7%). No mammalian, avian or amphibian prey were captured and no cat took prey back to their residence. A total of 326 risk behaviors were observed for 32 out of the 37 cats (86.5%) with the most common being cats venturing onto the road (n = 132; 41%). Younger cats (aged 1–6 six years) engaged in significantly more predation and risk behaviors than older cats (aged 7 years and above). Sex, breed, number of cats in a household, and geographic location were not found to be predictors of cats' participation in predation or risk behaviors. Given the high frequency of predation and risk behaviors in free-roaming owned cats, it may be beneficial to educate owners about strategies to minimize risk such as housing them indoors, containing them to their properties or monitoring their time spent outdoors.
Highlights
The New Zealand Animal Welfare (Companion Cats) Code of Welfare 2007 defines companion cats (Felis catus) as domestic cats that cohabitate with humans and depend on humans for their welfare [1]
This study reports the first observations of predation and risk behaviors of owned cats in New Zealand using animal-borne cameras and demonstrates that predatory and risk behaviors were commonly displayed by the cats
The results of the current study suggest that popular opinion regarding cat predation behavior may not always be correct, and that the enforcement of management techniques based on cat location may not do enough to mitigate the depredation of native fauna species, if not accompanied by other management techniques
Summary
The New Zealand Animal Welfare (Companion Cats) Code of Welfare 2007 defines companion cats (Felis catus) as domestic cats that cohabitate with humans and depend on humans for their welfare [1]. This category of cats is generally referred to as “owned” and this term will be used throughout the rest of this paper. An estimated 90% of New Zealand’s owned cats can free-roam without being monitored by their owners, having access to the outdoors during the day, night, or always [3], compared with 97% in Britain [4], 80% in Sydney, Australia [5], and 64– 76% in the USA [6]. There is growing interest in developing recommendations for owners to mitigate these risks
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
