Movement Patterns of Roaming Companion Cats in Denmark-A Study Based on GPS Tracking

Helene Ane Jensen; Henrik Meilby; Søren Saxmose Nielsen; Peter Sandøe

doi:10.3390/ani12141748

Movement Patterns of Roaming Companion Cats in Denmark-A Study Based on GPS Tracking

Animals (Basel). 2022 Jul 7;12(14):1748. doi: 10.3390/ani12141748.

Authors

Helene Ane Jensen¹, Henrik Meilby², Søren Saxmose Nielsen¹, Peter Sandøe^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
² Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen, DK-1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.

Abstract

We studied the roaming patterns of companion cats in Denmark. The movements of 97 cats with outdoor access were traced for about seven days using GPS tracking. Data on the cats were gathered from their owners. The median time cats spent away from their homes was 5 h per day (IQR: 2.5 to 8.8 h), median daily distance moved was 2.4 km (IQR: 1.3 to 3.7 km), and median for 95% BBKDE home range was 5 ha (IQR: 2.9 to 8.5 ha). Cats above seven years of age spent less time away from home, were less active and had a smaller home range than younger cats. Cats with access to nature areas spent more time away from home, were more active and had larger home ranges. Intact male cats spent more time away from home than neutered cats and had larger home ranges as well. Finally, rainfall had an impact on the distance moved by cats: on days without rainfall the cats moved 3.6 km on average (95% CI: 2.8; 4.5 km); and on days with heavy rainfall the cats moved 2.4 km on average (95% CI: 1.6; 3.5 km).

Keywords: Felis catus; GPS tracking; domestic cat; habitat; home range; rainfall; roaming.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by research grants from Dyrenes Dags Komité (2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark), QATO Fonden (7190 Billund, Denmark), Dyrenes Beskyttelse (2860 Søborg, Denmark), Fonden Inges Kattehjem (2600 Glostrup, Denmark), Foreningen Kustos af 1861 (8000 Aarhus C, Denmark), Kattens Værn (2605 Brøndby, Denmark), Skibsreder Per Henriksen, R. og Hustrus Fond (1358 Copenhagen K, Denmark), and Kitty og Viggo Freisleben Jensens Fond (1358 Copenhagen K, Denmark). Representatives of some of the funders were part of an advisory group that was consulted about the plans for the research. The funders had no say on design of the study and the analysis of our findings.