Research overview: stable isotopes revealing anthropogenic food in felid diets

Stable-isotope analysis of felid tissues offers a powerful way to quantify how much of a cat diet derives from anthropogenic versus natural sources, complementing scat analysis. This overview synthesises methodological and applied research using carbon and nitrogen isotopes to detect human-subsidised food, such as corn-fed livestock or human-associated prey, in the diets of urban-edge felids including caracals and bobcats. It examines how isotopic signatures reveal individual and population-level reliance on the human food base, and the conservation insights gained. The synthesis frames stable isotopes as a key tool for measuring the often hidden contribution of anthropogenic subsidies to felid nutrition.