Domestic cat penetrability into rural and natural habitats of the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

This study investigates the spatial behaviour of free-roaming domestic cats (Felis catus) in the Iberian Peninsula, focusing on their spatial penetration into natural habitats and potential impacts on biodiversity. Using GPS tracking data from 64 cats (67 GPS-track periods) across various environments of continental Spain, the research examines factors such as home range size and penetration distances domestic cats moved into surrounding areas. We provided several home range estimates (minimum convex polygon using 100% (100MCP) and 95% (95MCP) of locations, and Kernel density function using 95% (95Kernel) and 50% (50Kernel) of locations) and examined the factors affecting home range size for two of them (95MCP and 50Kernel) using Gamma or logistic regression techniques. Mean domestic cat home ranges were 66.1, 7.5, 10.9 and 1.6 ha for 100MCP, 95MCP, 95Kernel and 50Kernel, respectively. The size of 95MCP was significantly affected by the variables age and neutered (younger and neutered cats had larger home ranges). The size of 50Kernel areas was significantly affected by age, naturalness index and season (younger cats had larger core areas, cats living in more natural areas had larger core areas, and during the mating period, their size increased). Domestic cats were located on average 88 m (range = 0–3085, n = 157,177 fixes) from houses where they lived; nevertheless, in 1% of locations, cats were found ≥500 m away, and 0.24% of the time ≥1000 m away. Age and naturalness index significantly affected the mean penetration distances of domestic cats (lower in older cats and cats living in less natural environments). Age and status significantly affected maximum penetration distances (younger and owned cats travelled further). These results show that domestic cats may pose a threat to native wildlife, and there is a need for targeted management strategies to mitigate their ecological risks, particularly in regions rich in biodiversity like the Iberian Peninsula. Practical implication. Preventing free-roaming cats from moving into natural areas and implementing buffer zones of at least 2.5 km around conservation sites are recommended to minimise their impact.