ARE CATS PREY ANIMALS PLUS

Prof Kays said: “We knew cats were killing lots of animals – some estimates show that cats in North America kill from 10 to 30 billion wildlife animals per year – but we didn’t know the area in which that was happening, or how this compared with what we see in nature.”

Since they are fed cat food, pets kill fewer prey per day then wild predators, but their home ranges were so small that this effect on local prey ends up getting really concentrated Professor Roland Kays Researchers asked pet owners to track their cats to see where they went, and report on the number of prey they brought home.GPS trackers measured the distances travelled by the house cats which spent their days both indoors and outdoors.

We found that house cats have a two- to 10-time larger impact on wildlife than wild predators – a striking effect.” “Add to this the unnaturally high density of pet cats in some areas, and the risk to bird and small mammal populations gets even worse. Lead author Roland Kays said: “Since they are fed cat food, pets kill fewer prey per day then wild predators, but their home ranges were so small that this effect on local prey ends up getting really concentrated. Researchers from North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences worked with scientists from six countries to collect GPS cat-tracking data and prey-capture reports from 925 pet cats.Most of the animals came from the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

ARE CATS PREY ANIMALS PLUS

Why can't cats drink milk? Plus 6 other feline myths.6 reasons your domestic cat is wilder than you think.The study indicates that pet cats kill two to 10 times more wildlife than the equivalent wild predator. The researchers captured GPS data from 925 pet cats, and asked their owners to report how many animals they brought home.ĭomestic cats kill more prey in a given area than similar-sized wild predators, research suggests.Īccording to a new study, hunting by pets can have a big effect on the local wildlife population.Scientists say the effect is mostly concentrated around a cat’s home, as most of their movement is within a 100m radius.This usually encompasses a few gardens on either side.Cats only hunt in a small area around their home, within a 100m radius, meaning the effect on wildlife is highly concentrated.Pet cats kill two to 10 times more wildlife than similar-sized wild predators.Pet cats have up to ‘10-times larger impact on wildlife than wild predators'

Are cats prey animals