Pet and feral cats together are killing over two billion reptiles, birds and mammals per year in Australia, and most of these animals are natives, according to a new book written by three of Australia’s leading environmental scientists.
The book, Cats in Australia: Companion and killer, compiles key findings from hundreds of studies and management experience about cats across Australia.
With feral cats now a declared species in WA under the BAM Act we are looking forward to landholders having more options to control this damaging species on their land.
This new Declaration only relates to feral cats, and differentiates between feral, stray and domestic.
Wheatbelt NRM has been tackling the issue of feral cats for some years.
Over 180 feral cats were removed as part of our work with the community to protect populations of the Black flanked rock wallaby in the central Wheatbelt and one landholder last year caught a feral cat that weighed over 13kgs.
To find out how you can tackle feral cats and other pest species contact our Healthy Environments team at adent@wheatbeltnrm.org.au