Protect Our Wildlife: Take Action Against Feral Cats
Feral and pet cats are killing millions of native animals every day
Every 24 hours, feral and pet cats across the nation kill an estimated 3 million mammals, 1.7 million reptiles, 1 million birds, 2.8 million invertebrates and 337,000 frogs.
In WA alone, 36 mammals, 11 reptiles and 22 bird species are vulnerable to predation by feral cats, pushing many to the brink of extinction.
It's estimated a feral cat roaming the bush can kill more than 700 small animals every year (source[).
This is also an important reminder to landholders that pet cats that are allowed to roam also contribute to the destruction of native populations.
A singular cat resulted in the decimation of a Carnaby Black Cockatoo breeding site, with an unnumbered amount of nestlings killed, 6 breeding females destroyed and numerous eggs smashed.
Read the full story from WAToday here: People ‘just picking up’ starving WA cockatoos as burglars target nests
Preventative measures you can take as a responsible pet owner – ensure your cats are sterilized, keep cats indoors, build/buy catios or cat runs to allow for some freedom without jeopardizing native landscapes, apply cat bibs or preventative collars to severely limit their hunting ability, and report any sightings to the relevant authorities.
Keep in mind, feral cats are quick breeders and have little to no natural predators in Australia and therefore no population control besides individual efforts or community led projects.
If you love or live in our landscape but are unsure of what you can do alone – reach out to us at Wheatbelt NRM. We can provide funding for fencing and pest control methods and if you want to go the extra mile with a possible revegetation project to bolster native populations, we can help with that too!
To see if you are eligible for funding please visit here or email us at Wheatbelt NRM with your contact details and property location and we will be in touch.
This project is funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management, a member of the Regional Delivery Partners panel.
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Published eNews #404, July 2025