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Action Statement Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 No

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Action Statement Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 No Action Statement Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 No. 80 Predation of Native Wildlife by the Cat Felis catus Description and Distribution The Cat, Felis catus (Linnaeus, 1758), is the only species of the cat family Felidae with wild populations in Australia, but it is not indigenous. It Cats (particularly farm Cats) may be semi- is probable that Cats were present in Australia independent. long before European settlement, although their distribution and abundance at that time is not Cats can produce three litters per year, of between known. It is speculated that Cats were introduced 2 and 9 kittens. Births may occur throughout the to northern Australia by fishermen or traders from year although most are in spring and late summer. Indonesia. They could also have been survivors Males reach sexual maturity at 12–14 months, from 17th-century Dutch shipwrecks on the females at 10–12 months (Menkhorst 1995) or western coastline. Cats were certainly known to earlier. Populations of Cats can increase very central Australian Aborigines by the time the first rapidly given favourable conditions (Pettigrew explorers penetrated to that part of the continent 1993, CNR 1994a, b). With an average lifespan of (van Oosterzee et al. 1992). three years, one female Cat and her female offspring could potentially produce 108 young; Cats accompanied the First Fleet in 1788 and were survival for another year would boost the figure to part of Edward Henty's livestock brought to nearly 350 (CNR 1994a). For example, five Cats Portland Bay in 1834. Settlers also brought Cats as were introduced to Marion Island, South Africa in pets and to control rodents. At times of mouse 1948; by the early 1970s there were 2000 Cats plagues, and later rabbit plagues, governments present, taking about half a million seabirds each encouraged and even assisted with the year (van Aarde 1979). introduction of Cats to remote areas (Seebeck et al. 1991). Cats spread rapidly throughout Australia, It is estimated that there are about three million and now occur in a wide range of habitats, from owned Cats in Australia. The number of domestic rainforest to desert, including alpine areas (Jones Cats in Victoria is estimated to be between 725 000 1983). Paton (1993) noted that Cats have been (Seebeck et al. 1991) and 900 000 (McCrory 1988). present in most habitats in Australia for over a The number of feral Cats in the State is estimated century. at about 300 000 (McCrory 1988, Seebeck et al. 1991). All Cats are biologically the same, whether they are domestic (owned) pets, roaming unowned Cats Population densities vary with environmental (strays) or feral Cats. Domestic (pet) Cats are those factors, including season, habitat type and food that live in close association with humans who availability. Cats are most abundant near human supply the Cat's needs for food, shelter and health; habitation or where there is the greatest roaming unowned Cats are opportunistically abundance of rabbits. Densities in urban areas may dependent; feral Cats are free-living, generally be very high, up to 40 per ha, although in rural or independent of humans and obtaining their food bush areas they are much lower. In farmland, by hunting and scavenging. During times of densities range from 1 to 20 Cats per km2, and in environmental stress, feral Cats may become semi- south-eastern Australia densities between 0.7 and dependent on humans. Conversely, rural domestic 2.4 Cats per km2 are recorded (CNR 1994a). An estimate of the number of feral Cats in Australia Reasons for the Significance of the Process can be made using these figures; based on the A range of processes threaten native wildlife in conservative estimate of one Cat per 150 ha, then Victoria and other parts of Australia. Kennedy Australia supports over 5 million feral Cats. (1992) suggested that the interaction of introduced Cats are opportunistic feeders, varying their diet herbivores, introduced predators and altered fire according to the availability of prey. An adult feral regimes has played the most significant part in the Cat of average weight (about 4 kg) requires about large number of mammal extinctions in Australia. 300 g of flesh daily to survive. Cats do not need The impact of processes such as habitat loss, drinking water as they can obtain sufficient change and fragmentation can be exacerbated by moisture from their prey. They are the most Cat predation on remnant, isolated, populations. specialised meat eaters among the carnivores, When a species exists only as small populations, requiring a much higher proportion of protein in there is the potential for loss of genetic variation their diet than almost any other mammal. They can and potentially a decreased resilience to cope with utilise very high levels of fat in their diet and do environmental change and stochastic events. Cat not need carbohydrate if their diet contains both predation has the potential to depress local proteins and fats. Most food is highly digested; the wildlife population sizes and cause local gut, short relative to the body length, is a extinctions of species; and in conjunction with reflection of this. Their kidneys produce very other threats, it has a significant impact on the concentrated urea, which is possibly an adaptation survival of species. to the arid habitat of ancestral Cats. This ability Because Australian fauna did not co-evolve with makes it possible for Cats to survive in arid parts the Cat, potential prey species have few adaptive of Australia. strategies. Those species most at risk from Cat Cats are active during the day and at night, with predation are those that: peaks of activity around dusk and dawn, although have very localised and/or fragmented domestic Cats may sleep for most of the day. Feral distributions; and unowned adult Cats usually live alone (except occur in low densities; when mating or caring for young) and are territorial. However, groups may be formed where have low reproductive rates and slow growth there are abundant or localised sources of food. rates; These may be close to human activity, or in areas have behavioural characteristics which make where wildlife is concentrated, such as a bird them more vulnerable, including inappropriate colony or tips. Adult females and young form avoidance behaviour; groups and share territories which are maintained occur in colonies or are colonial breeders; by interactive behaviour. Adult males visit groups, occur in areas where Cat numbers are high; and but do not control them. Groups are normally only developed among Cats in urban or farm situations. occur in specific habitats which have been largely destroyed or modified by humans. Legal Status The threat of predation of native wildlife by Cats exists over much of Australia since the Cat is well Victoria adapted to survive in a broad range of habitats, modifying its diet to whatever prey species are Predation of native wildlife by the Cat' is listed as a available and most abundant. In forested areas potentially threatening process under the Flora Cats mainly take native animals because they are and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. The Domestic most abundant, while in cleared or disturbed (Feral and Nuisance) Animals Act 1994 provides areas, Cats mainly take introduced animals (Coman legislative recognition of Cats and their and Brunner 1972). In such environments, rabbits management in relation to animal welfare, are often the major prey (Jones and Coman 1981). responsible ownership and the protection of the With the spread of Rabbit Calicivirus (RCV) and the environment. .c.Australia 'Predation of native reduction in rabbit numbers, the potential for Cats wildlife by the introduced Cat' is listed as a key to prey on native species may increase. threatening process under the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992. Cats prey on a large number of native fauna species. The current inventory of species on which the Cat is known to feed includes 186 birds, 64 Australia mammals, 87 reptiles, at least 10 amphibians and 'Predation of native wildlife by the introduced Cat' numerous invertebrates (Paton 1993). Paton (1993) is listed as a key threatening process under the noted that the Cat's prey consists mostly of small Endangered Species Protection Act 1992. to medium-sized animals (less than 10 to 3–4 kg) with the majority being less than 100g. Cats are known to eat animals up to their own body weight, 2 which includes most endangered and vulnerable Paucident Planigale (Planigale gilesi), Common mammal species in Australia. Bent-wing Bat (Miniopterus schreibersii), Striped Legless Lizard (Delma impar), Grey-crowned Regardless of how well-fed a domestic Cat is, it Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis), Freckled Duck may prey on live animals. Paton (1990, 1991) (Stictonetta naevosa) and Blue-billed Duck (Oxyura estimated that an average domestic Cat kills at australis). Cats are considered as significant a least 32 vertebrates per year (8 birds, 16 mammals, problem as foxes to colonies of Brush-tailed Rock 8 reptiles). It is likely that this estimate of the Wallabies (Petrogale penicillata penicillata) (J. number of native wildlife taken by domestic Cats is Reside, pers. comm.). conservative as one study in the USA suggested that owned Cats brought home only 50% of their The best documented example of the impact of Cat dead prey (George 1974). predation on species' survival in Victoria concerns the Eastern Barred Bandicoot (Perameles gunnii). The impact of Cats has been exacerbated because This species, which is one of the State's most many are kept as pets or as rodent-controllers. endangered mammals, has undergone a Over 60% of urban householders 'own' Cats, and catastrophic decline in range and abundance. Cat few farms are without them. In most situations, predation was considered one of the major causes particularly on farms, reproduction of Cats is not of death at Hamilton (Seebeck et al.
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