How do domestic cats affect wildlife?

Domestic cats that stray from their homes can have effects on wildlife, revealed a recent study by the Doñana Biological Station.

SEVILLE Oct. 24. (EUROPA PRESS).- A study of the Doñana Biological Station (CSIC)published in the magazine Ecological Solutions and Evidencehas revealed that, although the majority of domestic cats They barely move a few meters from their homes, some can travel distances of more than two kilometers, especially the youngest and those who live near natural environments.

This study constitutes the first systematic analysis carried out in the Iberian peninsula on the ability of domestic cats to penetrate natural habitats and interact with priority conservation species, such as the wildcatas pointed out CSIC-A in a press release. “Although cats tend to stay close to where they live or where they are provided with food, the fact that domestic cats frequently travel distances greater than 500 meters from their homes means there is great potential for impact on wildlife.”

The consequences of this behavior in the Iberian Peninsula are not “minor”, and in some natural spaces its effects have already become “evident”. In both the Sierra Nevada National and Natural Park and the Montañana Palentina Natural Park, cases of frequent encounters between domestic cats and wild cats have been documented, which occur less than 100 meters from inhabited houses and cause the felines to compete for food and even hybridize.

To “soften” the possible ecological consequences, the team considers it “important” to control the exits of domestic cats outside. “The most effective conservation approach would be to restrict the escape of domestic cats beyond the confines of the home,” Palomares said. It would also “be of great help” to promote education campaigns that encourage responsible ownership of these felines, encouraging owners to keep cats inside their home and supervising the time they spend outdoors.

On the other hand, “adopting these practices could significantly reduce the overall impact of cats on the environment,” the researcher indicated. At a regulatory level, some measures could be established such as the creation of exclusion or buffer zones around protected or sensitive areas. Another measure would be to prohibit the feeding of cats outdoors in these spaces, promote sterilization programs and establish local regulations on free-roaming pets.

“Prioritizing the application of these actions in areas with greater natural value, and during biologically sensitive periods, could substantially mitigate the risk that domestic cats represent for native fauna,” concluded Palomares. Finally, CSIC-A highlighted that this project has been carried out with the permission and ethical approval of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development of the Junta de Andalucía, the Sierra Nevada National and Natural Park, and the General Directorate of Agricultural and Livestock Production of the Junta de Andalucía. Likewise, the collaboration of the owners who offered their cats was essential to make the study possible.

To carry out the study, the scientific team analyzed the movements of 64 domestic cats, monitored with a GPS tracking system. Both owned and stray cats have been included, of different ages and of both sexes in different environments. The researcher at the Doñana-CSIC Biological Station, Francisco Palomares, highlighted that “citizen collaboration has been essential. The people who lent their cats for monitoring made this study possible.” On average, the cats were located around 88 meters from their home, and 42 percent of the time they stayed within 50 meters. However, some individuals exceeded one kilometer and, on some occasions, even traveled more than two kilometers.

In addition, younger cats, those sterilized and those with owners, had larger home ranges and traveled greater distances. The results have revealed that factors such as age, the natural environment and the time of year determine the size of the cats’ maximum activity areas, that is, the area they use most frequently.