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Coyotes, found in some nature preserves in New York State, may curb the curiosity of pet cats in the area, restricting their movements in nearby neighborhoods to a few neighbors' yards and the very edges of the preserves, according to a new study by New York State Museum researchers published in the August edition of Animal Conservation.

In the absence of larger predators, pet cats have been shown to drive birds and mammals to extinction. However, this new study by Roland Kays and Amielle DeWan reports that in areas with native predators, pet cats limit their movements in natural areas and do not significantly affect animal populations in nearby nature preserves.

Using radio collars to track the cats, the authors found that the pets mainly stayed in their yards, using small home ranges of about one-quarter acre. They rarely traveled into the preserve, only occasionally patrolling the forest edges. The study's motion-sensitive cameras supported these results, rarely detecting cats at sites more than 50 yards into the forest.

The Albany Pine Bush Preserve, the site of this summer 2001 study, protects enough land to maintain populations of coyotes and fishers. The authors suspect that the presence of these predators limits the movements of local pet cats. "Without a population of larger predators in the park the cats would probably overrun the area, which would be bad news for the smaller woodland creatures." says Kays, curator of mammals at the State Museum, "Because most cats get food from people they can reach unnaturally high densities if left unchecked. Protecting larger predators in these areas help restore the ecological balance."

The studied cats' small ranges limit their potential to impact the preserve's native mammal
populations. Each cat caught about 5.5 animals per month in the summer, mostly small juvenile mammals, such as baby rabbits and small mice. Although the authors estimate nearly 2000 hunting pet cats in the 24-square-mile study area, this level of hunting did not affect the population sizes or foraging behavior of the preserve's small mammals.

"These pets were not very effective hunters and rarely went into the forest," says DeWan, currently a graduate student at Cornell University. "It takes more than that to affect populations of native mice that can live with as many as 15 per acre and breed four times a year."

Because there is very little prior research on the ecology of pet cats, it's unknown how well these results apply to other areas. "Cats live in a lot of different situations, from inside houses, on farms or in swarming 'cat colonies,'" explains Kays, "We are only just beginning to study the ecology of many of these systems."

Although the pet cats' hunting did not affect potential prey within the preserve, the researchers point out that they could pose a danger to animals trying to move across neighborhoods. This threat would further isolate the few remaining natural forests within suburban areas. The authors recommend that cat owners keep their cats inside to reduce their ecological impact, and avoid becoming a meal for a native predator.

In addition to using radio-collars, observations, and motion-sensitive cameras, the authors estimated the local cat population and hunting patterns from surveys of cat owners in the area. They also compared small mammal populations across the study area.

The State Museum, a cultural program of the New York State Department of Education, was founded on a tradition of scientific inquiry. Started in 1836, the museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. The museum is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. Further information is available by calling 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

The New York State Museum is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. It is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week throughout the year except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.