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Feral cat
- Feral cats can inflict dangerous bites
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- Feral cat (Felis catus)
General information
The true feral cat (Felis catus) does not rely on humans, obtaining its food and shelter from the natural environment. This is unlike semi-feral cats, which live around dump sites, alleys or abandoned buildings, relying on humans by scavenging rubbish scraps.
The feral cat is a Class 2 declared pest animal under Queensland legislation. Lanholders are responsible for controlling feral cats on their land. The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts has developed a threat abatement plan for feral cats.
| Scientific name |
Felis catus |
| Impacts |
- opportunistic predator of small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and even fish
- particularly harmful in island situations, having caused the extinction of a number of species
- competes for prey with native predatory species such as quolls, eagles, hawks and reptiles
- contains a parasite that is particularly harmful to marsupials, causing blindness, respiratory disorders, paralysis, and loss of offspring
- can also carry rabies, should this disease enter Australia
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| Description |
- similar appearance to a domestic cat; however, under ideal conditions will have increased muscle development, particularly around the head, neck and shoulders
- males can weigh between 3-6 kg, females 2-4 kg
- predominantly short-haired
- coat colours range from ginger, tabby, tortoiseshell to grey and black
- most active at night, with peak hunting activity soon after sunset and just before sunrise
- has a distinctive green eyesheen under spotlight
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| Habitat and life cycle |
- present Australia-wide, thriving under all climatic extremes and in vastly different types of terrain
- male cats attain sexual maturity at about 12 months, whereas females are capable of reproduction at about 7 months
- can produce up to 3 litters a year, each of usually 4 kittens but varying from 2 to 7
- most reproduction occurs between spring and summer
- birth follows a gestation period of 65 days
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| Control |
- all successful control programs have required the use of multiple methods including night shooting, poisoning, trapping and fencing with land management practices
- studies have shown that unfenced rubbish dumps and similar habitats with abundant food contribute significantly to increasing feral cat populations
- fencing potential food sources such as rubbish dumps and responsible cat ownership to decrease new sources of feral cats are two methods of control that can assist limit feral cat impacts
- see the feral cat ecology and control fact sheet for further information
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| Declaration details |
- a declared Class 2 species under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002
- landholders are required to control its numbers on their land
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| Further information |
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Page maintained by Sonia Jordan
Last reviewed 09 September 2011
