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Felis catus

Linnaeus, 1758

Domestic Cat

GNANot Applicable Found in 51 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
GNANot ApplicableGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103979
Element CodeAMAJH01070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderCarnivora
FamilyFelidae
GenusFelis
Synonyms
Felis silvestrisSchreber, 1777Felis silvestris catusSchreber, 1777Felis sylvestrusSchreber, 1777
Other Common Names
Chat (FR) Chat domestique (FR) Chat haret (FR) Feral Cat (EN) Gato (PT) Gato Doméstico (ES)
Concept Reference
Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
Taxonomic Comments
The domestic cat is treated by different authors as either a distinct species (Felis catus) or as a subspecies (Felis silvestris catus). For convenience, it is treated here as Felis catus to distinguish it from the wild populations of Felis silvestris. Wozencraft (in Wilson and Reeder 2005) discussed the taxonomy of catus and silvestris and listed Felis catus and Felis silvestris as distinct species. As ruled by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) Opinion 2027 (Case 310), the scientific name of the domesticated cat can either be Felis catus (as a species) or Felis silvestris catus (as a subspecies). The wild form, the Wild Cat (Felis silvestris or Felis silvestris silvestris), cannot be a subspecies of Felis catus (ICZN 2003).
Conservation Status
Review Date2011-01-07
Change Date2011-01-07
Range Extent Comments
Feral populations occur worldwide in terrestrial habitats, including all main Hawaiian Islands, though populations are small or absent where winter climate severe. The Old World wild cat, from which the domestic cat originated, ranges widely throughout the Palearctic region, from Scotland to South Africa and from Morocco to central and southern China.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Mainly in or not far from areas inhabited by humans but also in natural habitats up to several miles from a village or town.

Ecology

See Turner and Bateson (1988) for information on social behavior. In Brooklyn, New York, cat distribution varied with availability of shelter, not dependent on food supply (Calhoon and Haspel 1989); home range averaged 2-3 ha (Haspel and Calhoon 1989). Feral populations may attain densities of up to a few hundred per sq. km (Kitchener 1991). Coleman (1992) estimated a density of 33/sq. km in rural sections of one Wisconsin county.

See Tomich (1986) for brief overview of literature regarding feral cat populations throughout the world.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralSavannaGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldCropland/hedgerowSuburban/orchardUrban/edificarian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesNNA
ProvinceRankNative
LouisianaSNANo
IdahoSNANo
New YorkSNANo
PennsylvaniaSNANo
MontanaSNANo
CanadaNNA
ProvinceRankNative
SaskatchewanSNANo
British ColumbiaSNANo
AlbertaSNANo
Nova ScotiaSNANo
Island of NewfoundlandSNANo
Roadless Areas (51)
Alaska (4)
AreaForestAcres
Behm IslandsTongass National Forest4,777
GravinaTongass National Forest37,381
North RevillaTongass National Forest215,430
RevillaTongass National Forest29,298
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
PicachoTonto National Forest4,969
California (14)
AreaForestAcres
Arroyo SecoAngeles National Forest4,703
ChicoSequoia National Forest39,836
Circle MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,375
Devil GulchSierra National Forest30,490
Ferguson RidgeSierra National Forest6,104
Hixon FlatSan Bernardino National Forest8,095
Horse Creek RidgeSan Bernardino National Forest8,969
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
MatilijaLos Padres National Forest5,218
Rouse HillSan Bernardino National Forest13,745
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
South SierraSequoia National Forest8,008
South SierraInyo National Forest41,853
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
Idaho (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
West Meadow CreekNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest115,949
Montana (3)
AreaForestAcres
Bmss Ra 1485Flathead National Forest334,275
BridgerGallatin National Forest45,059
HoodooLolo National Forest105,162
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Gila BoxGila National Forest23,759
Latir PeakCarson National Forest3,573
Ortega PeakLincoln National Forest11,545
Oregon (2)
AreaForestAcres
HellholeUmatilla National Forest65,679
Imnaha FaceWallowa-Whitman National Forest29,575
Puerto Rico (2)
AreaForestAcres
El Toro AreaCaribbean National Forest12,584
Mameyes AreaCaribbean National Forest11,150
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Utah (15)
AreaForestAcres
418012Uinta National Forest25,758
418013Uinta National Forest14,643
418016Uinta National Forest35,240
418024Uinta National Forest51,699
418025Uinta National Forest32,698
Boulder Mtn. / Boulder Top / Deer LakeDixie National Forest110,690
Burch CreekWasatch-Cache National Forest6,938
Casto BluffDixie National Forest87,466
Lewis PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest11,616
Marysvale PeakFishlake National Forest22,624
Mt. Logan NorthWasatch-Cache National Forest18,930
Oak CreekFishlake National Forest54,053
Pine Valley MountainsDixie National Forest57,673
Red Canyon NorthDixie National Forest9,973
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mt. Baker MaMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest24,847
Wyoming (1)
AreaForestAcres
Middle ForkShoshone National Forest51,772
References (29)
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  4. Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
  5. Calhoon, R. E., and C. Haspel. 1989. Urban cat populations compared by season, subhabitat and supplemental feeding. J. Anim. Ecol. 58:321-328.
  6. Coleman, J. S. 1992. A survey of owners of free-ranging domestic cats. Abstract, 6th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, p. 46.
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