Free-roaming domestic cats in Natura 2000 sites of central Spain: Home range, distance travelled and management implications

Domestic cats (Felis catus) freely roaming in natural areas are considered as one of the major threats for biodiversity worldwide, especially in areas of high conservation value such as the European Union's Natura 2000 network. Aiming to identify conservation problems and provide practical solutions derived from cats' presence, in this study we addressed the occurrence and behaviour of free-roaming cats in seven sites belonging to the Natura 2000 network in central Spain, using transects, camera-trapping and telemetry. Cats occurred in all sites, overlapping with potential prey species and wild felids, including red-listed species. We trapped and tracked five possibly unowned adult cats (three females and two males) in four sites within farmland and wetlands habitats. Home range varied among cats (MCP 95%, 0.005-1.51 km2), and the same applied for the distance travelled (0.23-5.1 km), with higher values for those occurring in wetlands compared to farmland. In general, cats travelled longer distances during the evening compared to other time periods. In farmland, tracked cats tended to remain in close proximity to farm buildings, where anthropogenic sources of food were available, while in wetlands cats combined inhabited places with natural areas, hence behavioural patterns could be explained by a combination of food resources and hunting behaviour. Strategies to prevent or reduce the impact of free-roaming cats in natural areas should include regular monitoring during the evening and night and selective trapping during the same periods, targeting the spots where anthropogenic sources of food are available but also considering other areas where cats may hunt. In these areas, campaigns to promote responsible ownership and intensive adoption should be also considered. Owing to the large terrestrial area protected by the Natura 2000 network in Spain (138,000 km2), and the owned cat population (around 6 million), it is likely that free-roaming cats will be a prevalent conservation problem in areas with similar habitats.