Feral cats have made it into the news again with the federal government committing to ‘declaring war’ on the pests using a $60 million war chest. Their stated aim is to humanely catch and kill as many feral cats as they can because, as we know, they’re extremely accomplished predators of many native Australian animals.

The money will fund 55 projects across the country with the intent of protecting wildlife. Looking at documentation outlining the funded feral cat projects, cash is destined to be used for the purposes of feral cat management along with threatened species recovery activities. Organisations allocated funding include a wide range of Indigenous groups, universities, natural resource management bodies, conservation groups, state government agencies, research bodies, catchment management authorities and control technology developers.

To put the message across to the public that something needs to be done, the facts were laid bare in the media. It was widely reported there are as many as 5.6 million feral cats roaming the country and their destructive ways are killing in the order of 1.5 billion native animals consisting of mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs. And let’s not forget to mention another 1.1 billion invertebrates every year too. The real kicker is feral cats have had a role to play in two-thirds of the extinctions of native mammals in Australia, which by far makes their presence in the wild the biggest environmental disaster in this country.

Federal Environment and Water minister Tanya Plibersek’s plan to tackle this threat includes a feral cat abatement plan which also involves household cats. This’ll be seen as a tool to try and limit the impact these pets have on wildlife. Although most cat lovers feel their fluffy friend is harmless, research has shown household cats kill on average 186 animals per year. When you consider their density in residential areas to ferals in the bush, you find many more household cats per square kilometre in the city than their rogue relatives. Wildlife in or near suburbia would have a real hard time surviving the concentrated predation pressure from both varieties.

From what’s been reported so far regarding the feral cat abatement plan, it looks like some new regulations will be introduced to parliament in the coming months. What this means is rules potentially placing household limits on cats, introducing nighttime curfews and cat-free zones near conservation areas. These all sound like great ideas as locking household cats inside, especially at night, stops them roaming and killing our wildlife. There’s also a benefit for the pets themselves as this cuts their risk of injury through car accidents, fighting with other cats and unwanted breeding. This is surely an animal welfare benefit to the household varieties.

The moans of some owners complaining about having to potentially register and take responsibility for their animals can already be heard but so be it. Dog owners do this already to some degree and their pets don’t have the same impact on our wildlife. The RSPCA has been vocal in urging the federal government to reconsider including domestic cats in the feral cat abatement plan, their main beef being unowned and semi-owned examples (strays) will be now classified as feral.

Things really should be totally black and white where cats are concerned. They’re either owned/household animals which people have full responsibility for or they’re ferals, those which should be destroyed for the benefit of our wildlife. Any unowned cat should be humanely culled, be that in the bush or after trapping in the city. And in the interests of fairness, part of the $60 million should be allocated to local governments and other organisation to ensure those unowned or stray cats are taken care of in a humane manner.

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FAQs
What is the $60 million feral cat strategy in Australia?
The Federal Government is funding 55 projects to manage feral cats, protect wildlife and support conservation efforts.

How many native animals do feral cats kill annually in Australia?
Feral cats are responsible for killing approximately 1.5 billion native animals each year, including mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs.

Will the new regulations affect domestic cats?
Yes, the plan includes potential regulations such as cat curfews, household limits and cat-free zones near conservation areas.

Why are feral cats considered a major threat to Australian wildlife?
Feral cats are highly effective predators and have contributed to two-thirds of native mammal extinctions in Australia.

What are the benefits of regulating domestic cats?
Regulating domestic cats reduces their impact on wildlife and improves their welfare by preventing roaming, injuries and unwanted breeding.

How will the $60 million be used?
The funding will support feral cat management, technology development, research projects and local government efforts to humanely manage stray cats.