The threat abatement plan for predation by feral cats (2015) sets out a national framework to guide and coordinate Australia’s response to the impacts of feral cats on biodiversity. A feral cat threat abatement plan has been made to address this key threatening process. Once a key threatening process is listed under the EPBC Act a threat abatement plan can be put into place if it is shown to be 'a feasible, effective and efficient way' to abate the threatening process.

Predation by feral cats is listed as a key threatening process. A key threatening process threatens or may threaten the survival, abundance or evolutionary development of a native species or ecological community. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ( EPBC Act) provides for the identification and listing of key threatening processes. Key threatening process under the EPBC Act

The impact of cats in Australia - fact sheet.

They are carnivores, generally eating small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects depending on their availability. The map illustrates the estimated abundance of feral cats across the country.įeral cats are predominantly solitary and nocturnal, spending most of the day in the safety of a shelter such as a rabbit burrow, log or rock pile. They are found all over Australia in all habitats, including forests, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and arid areas. They are a major cause of decline for many land-based endangered animals such as the bilby, bandicoot, bettong and numbat. Many native animals are struggling to survive so reducing the number killed by this introduced predator will allow their populations to grow.įeral cats can carry infectious diseases which can be transmitted to native animals, domestic livestock and humans.įeral cats are the same species as domestic cats, however they live and reproduce in the wild and survive by hunting or scavenging.

They have caused the extinction of some ground-dwelling birds and small to medium-sized mammals.

Map showing locations of feral cats in Australiaįrom Assessing Invasive Animals in Australia (2008) National Land & Water Resources Audit, Canberraĭownload the map as a PDF file (PDF - 771.49 KB)įeral cats threaten the survival of over 100 native species in Australia.

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