A single photograph could help researchers better understand what domestic cats hunt in the wild. The HUN-REN Center for Ecological Research is now asking the public to submit photos of wild animals encountered by their cats as part of its MACSKAPRÉDA Projekt (“Cat Prey Project”).
The goal of the project is to collect scientifically evaluable data from everyday observations, while anyone can participate in the research. “A mouse on the doorstep, a lizard in the cat’s mouth, or an injured bird in the yard is a surprising—and sometimes unpleasant—encounter for the owner. For researchers, however, it can be important data,” HUN-REN said in a press release. A photo, the location and time of the observation, and a few sentences describing what happened already constitute a valuable contribution.
The hunting activities of outdoor cats mostly go unnoticed, as owners often only become aware of them when the cat brings an animal home.
International research, however, shows that the prey brought home may be only a fraction of what the cat actually catches.
According to an Australian analysis summarizing the results of 66 studies, an outdoor, hunting domestic cat can kill about 200 vertebrates per year. The total annual prey of Australian domestic cats has been estimated to be in the hundreds of millions. On average, only about 15% of the animals killed were brought home.
Photo: Pixabay
In the United States, the number of birds and mammals killed each year by free-ranging cats—both owned and feral—has been estimated to be in the billions. These figures are estimates that vary by country and habitat, but they clearly illustrate the scale of this phenomenon and how difficult it is to observe.
The essence of citizen science is that non-professional researchers can also participate in the research: they collect observations, take photographs, and share data, which researchers later verify and analyze.
In this way, information can be gathered from a much larger area and over a longer period than a single research team would be able to achieve through fieldwork alone.
The project’s researchers, with the help of the public, are collecting data on wild animals killed, injured, or brought home by domestic cats. The research focuses on Hungary and neighboring countries—and more broadly, the Carpathian Basin—and welcomes observations of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates alike. A photographed prey animal can also draw attention to the presence of a species that is otherwise rarely encountered, the researchers wrote.
In the long term, identifying prey species could also provide a basis for researching potential transmission routes between wild animals and domestic cats. This is because cats can come into direct contact with several animal groups—such as rodents, birds, or bats—that may harbor various pathogens.
Observations are welcome on iNaturalist. One advantage of this international nature observation website and mobile app is that the uploader does not need to identify the prey species: the community and experts can assist with identification, and researchers will handle uncertain data accordingly.
They noted that,
if possible, it is a good idea to take multiple photos of the catch, and a few sentences describing the situation are very helpful—it is the small details that make the observation truly useful.
To participate, you must register on iNaturalist and then join the project. Upload a photo of your observation along with the date and location, briefly describe the circumstances, and then add the observation to the project or write “MACSKAPRÉDA Projekt” in the comment field. They emphasized that, for the sake of participation, no one should let their cat out or encourage it to hunt. Do not move a live or injured animal, and do not hold it back just to take a photo. Under no circumstances should documentation delay the provision of necessary assistance, they stressed.
Via hun-ren.hu, Featured image: Pexels
The post What Did Your Cat Bring Home? Their Catch Could Be Valuable for Scientists appeared first on Hungary Today.
What Did Your Cat Bring Home? Their Catch Could Be Valuable for Scientists 2026
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-10-07 10:49:25
Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law Legfrissebb hírek Világhírek Országhírek Legfontosabb hírek legfrissebb hírek legfontosabb a nap legfrissebb hírei Petar Nizamov bíró Tollak Petar Nizamov – Tollak Igazságszolgáltatás bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia nyomozás Burgasz Bulgária hírek az elmúlt óra hírei a nap hírei mai hírek Bulgária hírek Bulgária hírei villámhírek top hírek legfontosabb legtöbbet kommentált legfrissebb hírek Bojko Boriszov hírek időjárás koronavírus hírek hírek időjárás facebook youtube facebook instagram mai hírek az utolsó percek hírei hírek ma ma hírek hírek bg hírek vezető hírek forró hírek bg híroldal hírekhez minden hír hír bg az elmúlt óra hírei legfrissebb hírek bg mai hírek ma hírek ma hírek az elmúlt óra hírei legfrissebb hírek ma hírek bg hírek 24 órás hírek vesti bg novini hírek világ madár bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini legfrissebb hírek ma novinite bg hírek hello bolgár politikai párt címer delyan peevski botrányos Bolgár Nemzeti Televízió Szabad Európa Televízió botrány exkluzív élő tv élő most tv tv online tv műsor bg élőben most tv hírek online tv online élő bíróság Burgasz bíróság Burgasz járási bíróság Burgasz bíróság Burgasz járási bíróság Burgasz járási bíróság Burgasz fellebbviteli bíróság Burgasz ügyész Burgasz ügyészség Burgasz járási ügyészség Burgasz járási ügyészség Burgasz járási ügyészség Burgasz járási ügyészség Burgasz járási ügyészség Burgasz járási ügyészség Burgasz járási ügyészség Burgasz járási ügyészség Főügyész Ivan Geshev ügyész Geshev Tsatsarov Belügyminisztérium Burgasz ODMR Burgasz ODPR Burgasz rendőrség Burgasz járási rendőrség Burgasz ügyész Tsatsarov SGS ügyek Várna bíróság a SGS elnöke bírósági határozatok polgári ügyekben határozatok ügyekben Plovdivi bíróság bírósági határozatok ügyek Várna bíróság büntetőügyek kerületi járási bíróság határozatok munka a bíróságon SGS az SGS elnöke bírák Szófiai bíróság poszt bírák Plovdivi bíróság Plovdivi bírák Plovdiv Legfelsőbb Bíróság Felügyelőség Legfelsőbb Bíróság Legfelsőbb Bírósági Tanács ügyvéd ügyvéd büntetőügyek ügyvéd polgári ügyek ügyvéd házassági ügyek ügyvéd közigazgatási büntetőjog büntetőeljárás polgári jog polgári eljárás közigazgatási jog alkotmányjog
