Distance from human settlements favored by feral cats (Felis catus)

Camouflage is a common trait enabling animals to avoid detection by predators and prey. Patterns such as spots and stripes are convergent across carnivore families, including felids, and are hypothesized to have adaptive value through camouflage. House cats (Felis catus) were domesticated thousands of years ago, but despite arti-ficial selection for a wide variety of coat colors, the wild-type pattern of tabby cats is very common. We aimed to determine whether this pattern grants an advantage over other morphs in natural environments.