Feral cats (Felis catus) are found in most habitats across Australia. They threaten the survival of many native animals and have contributed to the extinction some mammals and ground-dwelling birds. They can also carry and spread infectious diseases to native animals, livestock and humans.
Feral and domestic cats are the same species however in the wild cats survive by hunting and scavenging and are usually solitary and nocturnal. They are carnivorous and have a broad diet which depends of prey availability of small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects.
Feral cats have been declared as pests by the Meeting of Environment Ministers (Melbourne, 15 July 2015) which also started the process of removing unnecessary barriers to effective and humane control of feral cats. It was agreed that feral cat management is a priority in threatened species recovery programs, and to pursue the development of a national best practice approach to the keeping of domestic cats.
Please refer to the Department of Environment website for further details including controlling feral cats.
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