Feral cats in Australia

Feral cats in the wild

Feral cats threaten the survival of over 100 native species in Australia. They have caused the extinction of some ground-dwelling birds and small to medium-sized mammals. They are a major cause of decline for many land-based endangered animals such as the bilby, bandicoot, bettong and numbat. Many native animals are struggling to survive, so reducing the number of feral cats allows native species populations to grow.

Feral cats can carry infectious diseases which can be transmitted to native animals, domestic livestock and humans.

Feral cats are the same species as domestic cats; however, they live and reproduce in the wild and survive by hunting or scavenging. They are found all over Australia in all habitats, including forests, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and arid areas. The map illustrates the estimated abundance of feral cats across the country.

Feral Cat Map

Feral cats are predominantly solitary and nocturnal, spending most of the day in the safety of a shelter such as a rabbit burrow, log or rock pile. They are carnivores, generally eating small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects depending on their availability.

Feral cats definition

Says: A feral cat is an unsocialised outdoor cat who has either never had any physical contact with humans, or human contact has diminished over enough time that she is no longer accustomed to it. Most feral cats are fearful or people and are not likely to ever become a lap cat or enjoy living indoors.

Australian feral cats are the same species as domestic cats; however, they live and reproduce in the wild and survive by hunting or scavenging. They do not interact with people and are a ferocious wild animal that cannot be socialised. If they are trapped, they are extremely dangerous.

PETA: explains: Cats make wonderful family companions. But when they live feral or are left to roam unattended outdoors, they are exposed to many dangers – including contagious diseases, speeding cars, poisons, and attacks by dogs and cruel humans – and can themselves be very dangerous to native animals. This understatement by PETA does not alert people to the danger posed to humans from disease and attack.

Feral cats Australia

Feral cats threaten the survival of over 100 native species in Australia. They have caused the extinction of some ground-dwelling birds and small to medium-sized mammals. … They are found all over Australia in all habitats, including forests, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and arid areas.

Feral cats meaning


Feral cats live, hunt and reproduce in the wild. They have the body shape, acute senses and fine coordination perfectly suited for stalking and capturing prey. These traits have allowed feral cats to adapt to some of Australia’s harshest conditions and invade almost all parts of the continent.

Feral cats need large amounts of fresh meat to survive and reproduce. In Australia, they mainly eat small native and exotic mammals, birds, lizards, and insects. About 80 endangered and threatened species are at risk from feral cat predation in Australia. Feral cats also carry diseases which can affect humans and other animals.

Cats probably arrived in Australia as pets of European settlers and were later deliberately introduced in an attempt to control rabbits and rodents. Cats now occupy 99% of Australia, including many offshore islands.

Watch this Meet the Feral episode that looks at the devastating impact feral cats have on Australia’s environment and agriculture. Produced and presented by reporter Prue Adams, the content has been gathered from the three decades Landline has been on air, with background information and support provided through the Center for Invasive Species Solutions.


A feral cat is not a stray cat, is a cat that lived indoors and was socialized to people at some point in her life, but has left or lost her home, or was abandoned.

Feral cats behavior

Feral cats are mostly solitary, and although they may be active at any time, they are usually more active at night. Their two greatest periods of activity occur around sunrise and sunset. … In Victoria, a feral cat's home range can vary between <1 km2 and 10km2 if food resources are scarce. During the day, feral cats tend to lay up in sheltered areas, including rabbit burrows, hollow logs, or dense thickets of scrub.

In rural and bushland environments, feral cats are generally found in low numbers with relatively large home ranges. In urban areas where food is more abundant, their numbers tend to be higher while their home ranges are smaller.

Diet

Feral cats are opportunistic predators that eat a wide range of foods. They prefer to hunt and kill and target the most available prey species, but it has been reported that individuals can become specialist hunters for particular prey species.

Dietary studies have shown that the European rabbit is the major food item of feral cats in Victoria. However, mice, smaller native mammals, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates are also common. When live prey is scarce, feral cats will also scavenge food scraps and carrion.

Problems with feral cats

People are probably the main problem with cats.

Peta

 Is an example of the issue. They try to straddle the fence of recognising that Australia has a serious issue with feral cats, where the only solution is to remove them from the landscape by lethal means. But they couch that announcement saying :-
Cats make wonderful family companions, but when they live feral or are left to roam unattended outdoors, they are exposed to many dangers – including contagious diseases, speeding cars, poisons, and attacks by dogs and cruel humans – and can themselves be very dangerous to native animals. It’s estimated that feral cats kill 75 million native animals every night across Australia, including birds, frogs, small mammals, and reptiles.
They follow this up with;_
Where Did Feral Cats Come From?
Australia’s feral cat colonies didn’t just spring up out of nowhere. They’re the direct result of the irresponsible actions of people who abandon their sterilised cats or allow them to roam outdoors unsupervised.
This attempt at blame has the intention of drawing the focus from a must euthanize feral cats policy to 'its someone's fault' that cats must be euthanized.

The feral cat issue in the United States has been managed very differently with a failed TNR policy, one the PETA is opposed to. It seems PETA are caught in the crossfire of TNR activists and practice solutions to remove feral cats  from the environment. They know what is right but want to dress it down for the animal rights following. 

The main impact of feral cats is through direct predation, but cats also spread diseases that affect, humans, livestock, and our wildlife. These diseases can cause abortions in livestock, which reduce farmers' productivity, and create scar tissue in livestock meat which reduces farmers' incomes.
There are many questions about ethics & morality
The main impact of feral cats is through direct predation, but cats also spread diseases that affect, humans, livestock, and our wildlife. These diseases can cause abortions in livestock which reduced farmers' productivity, and create scar tissue in livestock meat which reduces farmers' incomes. Cats make wonderful family companions, but when they live feral or are left to roam unattended outdoors, they are exposed to many dangers – including ...

Feral cats lifespan

The lifespan of a feral cat is often stated as only 2-3 years. Not in our experience. Many caretakers know of free-roaming cats that reach 12 to 15 years of …

Are feral cats dangerous

Cats make wonderful family companions, but when they live feral or are left to roam unattended outdoors, they are exposed to many dangers – including contagious diseases, speeding cars, poisons, and attacks by dogs and cruel humans – and can themselves be very dangerous to native animals.
Map showing locations of feral cats in Australia From Assessing Invasive … and sprays target species with a measured dose of toxic gel.
About 80 endangered and threatened species are at risk from feral cat predation in Australia. Feral cats also carry diseases which can affect humans and other …

Feral cats are dangerous

3 July 2018 — By taking out birds and bats, feral cats may contribute to increased rates of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases like Zika, West Nile Virus, …
Feral cats kill birds that eat disease carrying insects. When birds are removed from the environment, mosquito-borne diseases like Zika, West Nile Virus increase. When frogs and other amphibious creatures are on a cats menu, mosquito-borne diseases like Zika, West Nile Virus increase.

How far do feral cats roam

AWC research reveals feral cats can travel up to 170 kilometres. The owned cats had significantly smaller territories and tended to stay close to home. The mean home range for pet cats in the study was less … Wild kitties who don't have human families travel even farther than your beloved pal would. Feral felines wander from place to place, …

Feral cats domesticated

Taming an adult feral cat is usually not possible – and can put your other pets at risk if they come into contact. … It is generally not possible to tame a feral cat, but with time and commitment (and lots of food!), the cat may become more relaxed and friendly. But the wild hunting instinct cannot be removed or tamed.

Where do feral cats live

Feral cats live in a diverse range of habitats including deserts, forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Feral cats are the same species as domestic cats. However, they live and reproduce in the wild and survive by hunting or scavenging. Feral cats can survive in every habitat of Australia, from the most remote rugged, since cats with more exotic patterns do not survive well in the wild.

Feral cats diseases

Toxoplasmosis, cat roundworm and cat scratch disease are caused by pathogens that depend on cats — pets or feral — for part of their life cycle. But these diseases can be passed on to humans, sometimes with severe health consequences.