Cats and Aussie Wildlife

We love our cats and we like to think of ourselves as responsible owners. But if we don’t know where are cats are all the time, how can we be sure they aren’t doing something to harm one of Australia’s unique – and fragile – ecosystems?

Cats have been in Australia since at least European settlement, and may even have arrived with the shipwrecks of Dutch merchant vessels in the 17th century. According to the federal government, cats, particularly feral cats, are believed to have since ‘contributed to the extinction of many small to medium sized mammals and ground-nesting birds… and seriously affected bilby, mala and numbat populations.’

While most of the damage has been done by feral cats (and the government even believes that ‘if rabies were to be accidentally introduced into Australia, there is a high risk that feral cats would act as carriers of the disease’), it is known that all cats prey on more than 186 kinds of native Australian bird, 64 mammals, 87 reptiles, 10 species of amphibian and numerous invertebrates. An Australia-wide survey has also revealed that, on average, a domestic cat kills 16 mammals, eight birds and eight reptiles a year.

Officials therefore suggest that cat owners take certain steps to ensure their pets don’t add to the problem. These are:

• Identify your cat as a pet, not a stray – micro-chipped pet cats can be identified from strays by local councils and returned safely to their owners if they get lost or wander onto neighbouring properties;
• Desex your cat – desexing prevents unwanted litters contributing to the stray and feral cat populations. Desexed cats also tend to live longer and are less territorial and less inclined to wander and fight;
• Never dump unwanted cats or kittens – dumped cats will probably become strays that have to rely on wildlife as a food source. In its information brochure for cat owners, the South Australian government recommends that unwanted cats and kittens should be given away to a good home or humanely euthanased. Your vet clinic or nearest animal welfare shelter will be able to provide assistance.
• Prevent your cat from roaming – even cats with collars and bells are known to kill native wildlife. Keeping them at home (either indoors or in a specially designed ‘cat yard’ that offers plenty of stimulation and exercise) also protects them from being hit by cars and from being injured or catching diseases from stray cats. Male cats in particular are known to travel many kilometres and in doing so may hunt wildlife.

While it is true that cats who live in or near the bush pose a greater threat to native wildlife, remember that the likes of lizards and birds are also found in the suburbs. And since many species of fauna are only active during the day, the government experts believe that keeping your cat in at night is only a partial solution.