Felis catus, the domestic cat, occurs throughout the Australian mainland as well as on more than 40 islands off the Australian coast. Cats exploit diverse habitats, including deserts, forests, woodlands, grasslands, towns and cities, and occur from sea level to altitudes above 2000 m. The classification of cats as domestic, stray or feral (Moodie 1995) reflects the varied ecology of cats and their dichotomous status in Australia ? as both a valued pet species and an introduced feral predator.
Research is needed to define the most successful methods for gaining public acceptance of the importance of maintaining effective companion animal legislation; estimating densities of cats in various habitats; the cost effectiveness of control techniques including broadscale baiting; assessing the impact of the removal of colony-forming cats in resource-rich artificial habitats on the broader feral cat population; and assessing the impact of cat removal on both native and introduced small mammal populations and the further indirect effects of removal on other components of the biota.
| Reference type: | Report |
|---|---|
| Author: | Denny EA and Dickman CR |
| Date (dd/mm/yyyy): | 02/23/2010 |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Place published: | Canberra |
| Publisher: | Invasive Animals CRC |
| Institution: | Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre |
| Pages: | 84 pp |
| ISBN/ISSN: | ISBN: 978-0-9806716-6-7 |
| Region: | Australia - national |
| Documents: | Review of cat ecology and management strategies in Australia |
Tags: baiting, control, Ecology, fencing, feral cats, impacts, management strategies, population dynamics, shooting, TRAPPING
