Feral cat
Background
Cats arrived in Australia during the 18th century with European settlers. They were later released in an attempt to control rabbits and rodents.
Feral cats now occupy 99 percent of Australia, including many offshore islands.
Impacts
Feral cats are an agricultural, environmental and social pest. They pose a significant threat to our wildlife through predation and have been stated as the biggest threat to Australia’s native mammals.
Feral cats have been implicated in the extinction of native animals, and currently threaten the survival of about 80 endangered and threatened species.
Feral cats also pose a serious health risk to humans, livestock and native animals. They transmit livestock diseases such as:
- toxoplasmosis
- sarcosporidiosis.
Controlling feral cats
Managing the impacts of feral cats is challenging because they are typically in low numbers. They are naturally shy, which makes them difficult to locate and kill.
Feral cats can be killed by:
- shooting
- cage trapping
- coordinated baiting
- soft jaw leg-hold trapping, if approved under the Animal Welfare Act (see section 9 of the Animal Welfare Regulations 2012)
If you need to discuss control options, contact your Landscape board.
It is illegal to release a cat in South Australia. If you own a cat, you can assist by following the RSPCA’s policy of desexing, microchipping and containing your cat inside your house.
Reporting feral cats
FeralCatScan provides a tool for reporting of feral cats, management activities undertaken and photos of the impacts of feral cats.
The information is used to identify practical solutions to feral cat impacts.
