The mating system of feral cats (Felis catus L.) in a sub-Antarctic environment

Abstract.

In order to investigate the mating system of domestic cats living in a sub-Antarctic environment, we sampled 40 kittens belonging to 13 litters (from 9 mothers) in the main island of Kerguelen archipelago. We genotyped females and kittens using nine microsatellite markers. Contrary to what has been found in environments under strong human influence where the mating system is polygynous or promiscuous, and where male cats were in general not able to control the access to receptive females, results show that kittens from the same litter were sired by only one male in the Kerguelen population. It is hypothesised that this pattern is the closest to that of the original environment of adaptation.