Feral cat video collars reveal differences in hunting behaviour between mammal, reptile and insect prey

Feral cats pose a significant threat to native wildlife, though their impact varies by species. In Australia, small ground-dwelling mammals within the 35 g-5.5 kg range are most affected, while reptiles face comparatively lower threats, and no insects are known to be at risk. Vulnerability can be categorized into population-level factors (e.g., breeding rates, sociality) and individual risk factors (e.g., escape speed, vegetation cover). In this study we focus on the latter, and ask whether cat hunting techniques might influence small mammals versus reptiles and insects differently. Using animal-borne video collars on feral cats in semi-arid Australia, we analyzed 188 h of footage across 36 deployments, documenting 68 successful hunts. We broke down each hunt into stalk, capture, kill, and consumption phases, then measured hunting times and distances for each. We compared these values for small mammals, reptiles, and insects. Cats exhibited longer stalks and pounces for small mammals, though kill and consumption times per gram remained similar across prey types. As feral cats initiated longer and further hunts for small mammals versus reptiles and insects, they would threaten a greater number of small mammals on a given night assuming equal densities. Our findings suggest feral cats impose greater predation pressure on small mammals than on reptiles or insects, underscoring their significant impact on Australian mammal populations.