Table of Contents
Why was the feral cat introduced to Australia?
Cats probably arrived in Australia as pets of European settlers and were later deliberately introduced in an attempt to control rabbits and rodents. Cats now occupy 99\% of Australia, including many offshore islands.
How many species have cats made extinct in Australia?
34 species
Cats have played a major role in most of Australia’s mammal extinctions—34 species have become extinct since Europeans arrived in Australia with their cats more than 200 years ago—and they continue to pose an extinction threat to at least another 120 species.
What country did feral cats come from?
Australia
Feral cats (cats that are free-living and independent of humans, but are descended from those that did rely on humans) have established invasive populations over large geographic areas of Australia.
Where are cats found in Australia?
They are found all over Australia in all habitats, including forests, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and arid areas. The map illustrates the estimated abundance of feral cats across the country.
How many animals are killed by domestic cats in Australia?
Feral cats are not the only problem: The parliamentary report also found that Australia’s almost 3.8 million pet cats kill up to 390 million animals every year. To reduce the impact pet cats have on native animals, the report recommended three major steps.
Where in Australia are feral cats found?
Feral cats are the same species as domestic cats, however they live and reproduce in the wild and survive by hunting or scavenging. They are found all over Australia in all habitats, including forests, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and arid areas.
Where in Australia were feral cats introduced?
Historical records date the introduction of cats to Australia at around 1804 and that cats first became feral around Sydney by 1820. In the early 1900s concern was expressed at the pervasiveness of the cat problem. A study in the 2010s estimated that each feral cat kills 740 wild animals per year.