Daily Activities of the Feral Cat Felis catus LINN.

Abstract

Ecological study of the feral cat (Fells catus LINN.) was conducted in a small island, Ainoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture. Radio-tracking and direct observation were employed to investigate the daily activity. Cats spent larger part of a day in resting except for rutting male. They showed high activity at dusk and dawn, and this pattern was fixed both among individuals and through the year. Highly active time in a day shifted seasonally. Cats showed a nocturnal habit in summer and a more diurnal habit in winter. This fluctuation is closely related to air temperature; as the air temperature became higher, active time shifted from daytime to nighttime. The rain also influenced upon the activity of them. Mating activity also changed seasonally; mating season was monomodal from January to September in this island. These characteristics of the activity of the feral cat is discussed with reference to comparison with some other carnivorous mammals.