Caroline Marlow

Marlow Vets, Chepstow, United Kingdom

Objectives

Surprisingly little is known of the round the clock movements and habits of an entire domestic tom cat – distance travelled, speed of travel, regularity of routes used, favoured resting places, size of home range etc.  What is the effect of temporary chemical castration on this behaviour?

Methods

Using a quick release GPS collar on an unneutered male domestic cat in a rural area, dynamic maps of outdoor behaviour were recorded with mapped position reports every few minutes, showing habits before and after chemical castration using a sustained release implant – deslorelin.

Results

60 maps were obtained showing distances travelled averaged 11km per 24 hour journey (max 27km in 12 hours) with regular routes once learnt, visiting favoured houses and farm buildings.   Movements were in darkness, following hedgerows, tracks and quiet lanes, rather than straight lines ‘as the crow flies’, at a speed of up to 4km per hour, travelling up to 5km from home.   Some areas were visited very regularly, usually where there were other cats, while large sectors and buildings were never visited.

Following chemical castration there was a tenfold decrease in distance travelled per 24 hours with related range from home reduced to 0.5km.

Statement: Impact/ Clinical Significance

This study reveals how this unneutered male cat travelled long distances across a rural home range, over 10-24 hour periods. The behaviour was profoundly diminished by chemical castration. It reveals what uncastrated male cats are capable of and demonstrates why castrated cats are much safer, particularly in urban high cat density areas as they are unlikely to wander.

There has been widespread interest among vets and cat owner when I have described these novel findings.