Kangaroo Island Cat Control Committee

Ecological characteristics of Kangaroo Island Cats

• Kangaroo Island cats have an average weight of 3.8 kg (males) and 2.8 kg (females) with a maximum of 5.5 kg for a male and 4.0 kg for an adult female. This weight range is similar to the body masses of feral cats from other areas of Australia.
• The sex ratio is close to equal.
• Females have been found to be pregnant or lactating throughout the year. Usually two litters/year. Breed before 12 months of age.
• Most kittens have been sighted in summer (January) and autumn (May).
• Most feral cats on Kangaroo Island are a grey tabby colouration (71%) or black (21%).
• Home range size of males is 160 ha (42-526 ha) and 145 ha for adult females (18-467 ha) n=10 and 11 respectively (Paton 2003).
• Two cats were found to travel substantial distances of 15 km and 50 km respectively (Paton 2003).
• Trap success in winter and spring was 3.9 to 7.5 cats /100 trap nights compared to 1.2-1.8 cats/100 traps in summer and autumn (Paton 2003)

This information is based on a sample size of 202 cats caught during community cat trapping programs organised by the KICCC and KI Natural Resources Board or reported by D. Paton 2003. Developing a community-based feral cat control program for Kangaroo Island. Kangaroo Island Rotary Club Seminar Proceedings.

The proportion of kittens caught in each month of the year by Residents on Kangaroo Island

Cats on Kangaroo Island breed all year round, however, most females have kittens in January and May based on this data of the proportion of 52 kittens caught in each month

The colours of 202 cats caught on Kangaroo Island

Most feral cats caught on Kangaroo Island have a tabby colouration.

Diet

"People are often familiar with the size of domestic cats and make assumptions about ferals based upon this information. Routine weights and measurements of live-trapped feral cats showed them to be smaller in weight and size than common public perception. Physiologically, the smaller an organism, the higher its metabolic rate. This is often reflected in food consumption.

Remains of cat killed echidna. Cat kills are characterised by the body being turned inside out.

Home ranges and territories/radio tracking: One feral "Male cat was radio tracked for 12 months and used an area of approximately 8 square kilometers. He returned to the area where he was originally trapped approximately every five weeks. He used no regular home den, but rather a series of dens while looking for females. (from annual report, One With Nature 1999)

Prey analysis

Residents and visitors reported regular "scat post" where fresh faecal samples were collected. Analysis of this material indicated diversity of prey species. Seasonal patterns for food preference was observed. More than fifty species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects have been recorded from feral cat stomach and faecal content.

During routine fieldwork, fresh regurgitated stomach contents are occasionally found. One feral female cat* had the following undigested / partially digested contents in her stomach when found at 7:25 am on 14^th April 1995:

• 1 western pigmy possum
• 3 thicktail geckos
• 1 new holland honeyeater
• 1 cricket
• 1 eastern spin bill
• 4 mice
• 6 skinks
• 1 tiger snake
• the remains of a wallaby.

*This individual was first observed drinking at waterhole. She was having convulsions and died shortly after. Death was symptomatic of snake bite.

Fresh regurgitated material from feral cat 16 September 1997. Contents include thick tail gecko, native bush rat and cockroach.

Diet research courtesy Peggy Rismiller & Mike McKelvey: