Domestic cat predation on Neotropical species in an insular Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

The domestic cat Felis silvestris catus is considered a potential threat to the native fauna of regions it populates, particularly when it has free access to these areas. Although this problem is known in Brazil, little is known regarding the effects of this species on natural areas. This study aimed to obtain information concerning the diet of domestic cats by identifying the main items found in fecal samples from domestic cats. In addition, the effects of seasonality on the diet were examined, as it has been hypothesized that seasonal variation of food items has little influence of the diet of the domestic cat. These semi‐domiciled cats are thought to face a constant and continuous supply food offered by their owners throughout the year. Feces were collected in a remnant fragment of an Atlantic Forest located south of the municipality of Ilha Comprida — SP, Brazil. These samples provided important information regarding the dietary ecology and predation behavior of this species in endangered forest areas. The results of the scat content analyses demonstrated that domestic cats inserted in this biome presented a generalist and opportunist diet with little seasonal variation, even when receiving food from their owners. The most frequently consumed groups of prey were insects (20.8%) followed by mammals (13.9%) and birds (4.0%). Although the cat is not the only factor that impacts the species of the region, management programs need to be established in conjunction with the local community with the aim of minimizing the pressure exerted by these animals on the native fauna.

Predation of Birds by Domestic Cats on a Neotropical Island

“…On Le Levant Island, to the northwest of the Mediterranean Sea, the high rate of feline predation of the Yelkouan Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan) suggests that the local population may become extinct in coming decades, or even within a few years [19]. However, and in line with the exiting literature, our results show that predatory behavior by domestic cats on vertebrates relates mainly to mammals [4,5]. This is mainly due the morphology and biology of the felines [6].…”

“…Thus, domestic cats use wild animals as an alternative food source, as they receive sufficient food from their owners to meet their daily needs [15]. However, our research confirms that domestic cats may exhibit opportunistic predatory behavior, which occurs independently of their alimentary and behavioral relationship with humans [4,5]. Apparently, this predation occurs due to the availability of prey in the environment [6,16].…”

“…Regardless of their feeding and behavioral relationship with man, cats may still display opportunistic predation behavior [2][3][4][5]. For this reason, cats have been indicated as one of the main causes of the decline of other species in different areas of the world [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Research has also highlighted the significant impact of predation by cats on native fauna, especially regarding birds in insular environments [8][9][10][11].…”

“…This is true even under domiciliary conditions -living in close association with humans in anthropic areas, where all their biological requirements are intentionally met [1] -or in semi-domiciliary conditions -a lesser association, where they have free access to the external areas of the residence and the possibility of exploiting available resources. Regardless of their feeding and behavioral relationship with man, cats may still display opportunistic predation behavior [2][3][4][5]. For this reason, cats have been indicated as one of the main causes of the decline of other species in different areas of the world [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12].…”

Manejo populacional de gatos (<i>Felis silvestris catus</i>): uma abordagem comportamental

“…Por serem exímios predadores da fauna nativa, os gatos podem representar uma ameaça aos ecossistemas em que são introduzidos (Dickman, 1996;Ferreira, Nakano-Oliveira & Genaro, 2014) e são citados, inclusive, na lista das 100 espécies exóticas invasoras mais impactantes do planeta (Lowe, Browne, Boudjelas & Poorter, 2000).…”