Research overview: domestic cat predation on wildlife

An overview of the substantial toll free-ranging domestic cats take on wild birds, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians in urban, suburban and rural landscapes. Both owned outdoor cats and unowned feral cats kill enormous numbers of small vertebrates annually, with estimates indicating billions of prey items in some countries, raising debate over population-level impacts and management. This survey synthesizes methods for estimating cat predation, including kitchen returns, animal-borne cameras and modeling, the species most affected, and how subsidized cats can act as hyperabundant mesopredators. It connects to mesopredator-release dynamics and to policy controversies over cat management and trap-neuter-return. The topic addresses one of the most contentious and consequential predator-prey relationships in human-dominated landscapes.