Research overview: felid predation on small mammals and rodents

An overview of the central role small mammals play in the diets of small and medium cats and of big cats during prey shortages. Species such as wildcats, jungle cats, sand cats, ocelots and many others subsist largely on rodents and other small prey, regulating their populations and linking felids to the dynamics of fluctuating small-mammal communities. This survey synthesizes diet studies across small felids, how rodent abundance drives cat foraging and reproduction, the functional and numerical responses of cats to small-mammal cycles, and the ecological pest-control services these predators provide. It connects small-cat ecology to the broader principles of prey switching and prey-driven predator dynamics. The topic broadens predator-prey study beyond charismatic big cats to the numerous small felids whose prey base is dominated by rodents.