Research
Kitty Cams provide a creative solution to answer widespread and controversial questions about the interactions and behaviors of cats in the environment.
Through the use of Kitty Cams, our research team measured cat predation on wildlife and quantified common factors threatening the health of owned free-roaming cats (for example: vehicles and exposure to infectious disease).
Images are much more powerful than words and our photos and videos may become an instant educational tool to help inform the general public about the welfare of their cat.
Technology
Kitty Cams are lightweight, waterproof units with LED lights to record activity at night. They are mounted on a break-away collar and outfitted with a radio-tracking device so we can locate any lost cameras. High quality video is recorded on mini SD memory cards for easy download and viewing.
Sixty pet kitties in Athens-Clarke County wore cameras while roaming outdoors for 7-10 days. We have footage from a variety of different habitats and throughout all four seasons.
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Results
Anthrozoös Journal Manuscript:
AZ VOL. 25(3).E-print Loyd.pdf
Citation:
Loyd, K. A. T., Hernandez, S. M., (2012), "Public perceptions of domestic cats and preferences for feral cat management in the southeastern United States", Anthrozoos, 25, 3. pg: 337-351 10.2752/175303712X13403555186299
Veterinary Record Manuscript:
Veterinary Record-2013-Loyd-vr.101222.pdf
Citation:
Loyd, K.T., Hernandez, S.M., Abernathy, K.J., Shock, B.C, Marshall, G.J., 2013. Risk behaviours exhibited by free-roaming cats in a suburban US town. Veterinary Record, 10.1136/vr.101222.
Biological Conservation Journal Manuscript:
Citation:
Loyd, K.T., Hernandez, S.M., Carroll, J.P., Abernathy, K.J., Marshall, G.J., 2013. Quantifying free-roaming domestic cat predation using animal-borne
video cameras. Biol. Conserv. 160, 183-189.
We had enough footage from 55 of our
participating cats to analyze. Thanks to our
diligent volunteers, we had an average of 37
hours of footage per roaming kitty. One of the
most surprising things we witnessed was cats
adopting a second set of owners. Four of our
project kitties were recorded entering another
household for food and/or affection!
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Results indicate that a minority of roaming
cats in Athens (44%) hunt wildlife and that
reptiles, mammals and invertebrates constitute
the majority of suburban prey. Hunting cats
captured an average of 2 items during seven days
of roaming. Carolina anoles (small lizards) were
the most common prey species followed by
Woodland Voles (small mammals). Only one of the
vertebrates captured was a non-native species (a
House Mouse). Eighty-five percent of wildlife
captures were witnessed during the warm season
(March-November in the southern US). Cats
roaming during warmer seasons were more likely
to exhibit hunting behavior and the number of
captures per hunting cat is expected to decrease
with increasing cat age. Cat age, sex, and time
spent outside did not significantly influence
hunting behavior.
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The most common risk factors experienced by
suburban free-roaming cats include: crossing
roads (45% of our sample), encountering strange
cats (25%), eating and drinking substances away
from home (25%), exploring storm drain systems
(20%) and entering crawlspaces where they could
become trapped (20%). Eighty-five percent of
project cats were witnessed exhibiting at least
1 risk behavior. Male cats were more likely to
engage in risk behavior than female cats and
fewer risk behaviors were witnessed by older
individuals. Total time spent outside also
influenced the number of risks experienced by
free-roaming cats.
Wildlife student Caroline Ward (‘12) used focal sampling to examine activity budgets of our participating cats for her senior thesis research project. She found that KittyCam cats spend the majority of their outdoor time resting (rather than moving). Cat age and season had a significant effect on the amount of time cats spent in motion though. Our cats were more active in warmer seasons and younger cats were more active than older kitties.


