The diet of feral cats (Felis catus L.) on hawke’s bay farmland, New Zealand

Abstract

Food remains were analysed in 361 cat faeces (scats) collected from September 1983 to May 1987 on farmland in southern Hawke’s Bay. Mammals were the most important food items in scats, both by occurrence (76%) and by weight (74%). House mice were the most frequently (50%) encountered remains, and comprised only 12% of the total prey identified by weight; rats were less frequently found (20%) but the most important item by weight (39%). Other mammals found were scavenged possums (13% by weight), sheep (7%), and lagomorphs (3%). Birds, consisting mainly of introduced species, including turkeys, were both frequent (24%) and important by weight (24%). Invertebrate remains consisted mainly of cicada nymphs (Homoptera) (10% by frequency), grass grubs (Coleóptera) (8%), and black field crickets (Orthoptera) (7%) contributed less than 2% by weight. Cicada nymphs were recorded only in willow/ swamp habitat. No significan t differences were found between vertebrate prey recorded in scats from willows and swamps and vertebrate prey from bams and pasture. There were no consistent local or seasonal changes in frequency of occurrence of rats, but mice were found more frequently in scats collected in winter. Possum remains were found mainly in winter. Birds were the main items in scats collected in the spring and summer months. Eggs of Toxocari cati (64%) were the only identifiable internal parasite frequently found in the scats. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.