GPS Tracked Cats
Beginning in April 2022, Bird Friendly Calgary engaged with cat owners interested in learning about and contributing to our understanding of their cat's movements. The aim was to see where cats are travelling and how often they are potentially encountering danger such as crossing roads. All participation and information provided is voluntary.
The movement of three cats can be seen below. All are spayed and neutered, two are males and one is a female. All owners were provided with education regarding the dangers of cats to birds and options to keep both their cats and birds safe.
We aim to continue gaining information about the movements of cats in Calgary. Want to volunteer your cat or discuss urban cat movements? Get in touch!
Merlin
A incredibly handsome 1 year old male ragdoll cat, Merlin is neutered and has access to inside and outside through a cat door. He also lives with other cats. While he usually stayed close to home, Merlin's movements over four days covered over 4km and crossed several roads with varying traffic levels.
Lola
A sweet and tiny 1 year old female cat, Lola is spayed and has access to indoors and outdoors through a cat door. She lives with other cats. Over 4 days of tracking, Lola stuck relatively close to home but still covered over 4km and crossed multiple roads.
Merl
Another handsome 1 year old neutered male cat, Merl was collared for over two months. He did not have a cat door and therefore could only be outside when someone let him out. He lives with a female cat who does not leave the property. His movements over the course of the day ranged from a few hundred meters to multiple km but overall, Merl's home range appears larger than the other two cats. Over the entire time he was collared, Merl covered almost 32km of ground. His owners indicated he had brought home at least five birds in that time.