Research overview: scat analysis versus kill-site data for diet estimation

An overview comparing the two principal ways of determining what cats eat, analysis of prey remains in scats and investigation of kill sites, and their complementary strengths and biases. Scat analysis samples diet broadly and detects small prey but can overrepresent small items because of differential digestion and surface-area effects, while kill-site data better quantify large-prey biomass and kill rates but miss small or fully consumed prey. This survey synthesizes correction factors, biomass-conversion models and how combining methods yields more accurate diet estimates. It connects methodology to the prey-preference and kill-rate literatures and to estimates of predation impact. The topic helps interpret apparent discrepancies among felid diet studies and underscores the value of integrating multiple lines of dietary evidence.