Oh all the places they go. Your cat may be on its best behaviour at home, but what happens when it’s outdoors?
You may just find out through a cat cam as researchers at the University of Guelph lead a project to see the world through a cat’s eyes.
“It’s really cool to see what the cat is seeing,” said Elizabeth Gow, an ornithologist at the U of G on the Cat Camera Project along with ecologist Ryan Norris, an ecologist who studies migratory birds and pollinators, and graduate student Marlee Pyott.
”Every person that we’ve shown the footage to of their cat, they were almost shocked.”
The Cat Camera Project is recruiting as many cats as possible around Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge. Cat participants will be wearing a mini-camera similar to a GoPro during their outdoor ventures.
“This is a great way for owners to learn just how their cats fare in the outdoors,” said Gow. We think some might be surprised to find what their cats really get up to.”
Gow said the results of the study will be used to understand domestic cat behaviour outside such as the animals they kill, how far they travel and what dangers they face.
“They’re crossing roads, they’re facing cars. Are they coming into contact with coyotes? Are they climbing into car engines? Also, what animals may they encounter? Are there other cats or other wild animals?" asked Gow.
In a trial study in early 2020, the team learned that some cats were travelling quite far, well over a kilometre from their home and some were frequently crossing roads while others didn’t.
“We’re seeing what they’re doing low to the ground. We’re seeing as they turn their heads, were seeing them looking at a squirrel or were seeing them trying to decide, shifting their head around, which way they’re going to go down on the street,” said Gow.
At the end of the five-week study, volunteer pet owners will receive a highlight reel of their cat, personality test results and a chance to win one of three $50 gift cards.
Cat owners will be asked to put a camera on their cats a total of 20 times during the study.
“The cat is not wearing a camera all the time, only when it’s going outside,” said Gow.
Norris said he and Gow are particularly interested in learning about what birds, mammals and other creatures cats hunt.
“We really want better estimates of how much wildlife cats take – and what kind of wildlife. We know it’s a lot and we tend to assume it’s just mice and birds, but perhaps it’s also butterflies, moths, amphibians – we’d like a better estimate of those,” said Norris.
Norris said studies in the past that examined cats’ outdoor behaviour haven’t been able to offer a full picture of what felines hunt because they either relied on owners’ reports of what the cat brings home or the cat's fecal samples. Norris said cats don’t always consume what they kill or even carry what they kill back home.
The team conducted a trial in early 2020 which was delayed due to the pandemic. Through the trial, the team determined important features the camera should have, which are; strong battery life, strong night vision and strong structure.
Brett Forsyth, a photographer from Puslinch, made high-tech mini cameras for the project.
“The camera records a series of photos — about three to four photos every second which we splice into a video and look at,” said Gow. “The night vision is exceptional. It almost looks like daytime. It’s so good.”
Gow said the camera turns off when the cat is immobile, which allows it to have a battery life of 12 hours, capturing the entire journey of the cat outside.
Cat owners receive an entire kit that includes the camera, its charging cables and instructions for the project.
Gow said the camera weighs as much as an egg and sits right below the collar of the cat.
“It really doesn’t affect the cats that we’ve tested. They notice it when you first put it on they’re like ‘what is this?’ but then after a few minutes, it’s just like a collar for them.
Interested cat owners can learn more at TheCatCamera website, or email Marlee Pyott at [email protected]. Cats need to be older than 12 months and comfortable wearing a collar to participate in the study.
