The Australian government has declared a “war” on feral cats that have no owners. They are considered invasive in some regions of the country and Australian authorities claim the animals are responsible for serious “biodiversity losses.”
According to the draft action plan released on September 6thThe country plans to authorize the euthanasia of cats caught or “abandoned” in the wild.
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The document also plans to authorize the formation of training groups for amateur hunters so they can shoot the cats if they find them.
The announcement came after the release of a United Nations report that concluded invasive species are the leading cause of “biodiversity loss” in Australia.
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Tanya Plibersek, Australia’s environment minister, estimates that on average cats are responsible for the deaths of millions of animals each year.
“This consultation document will ask really important questions, such as: ‘Should we introduce a curfew for cats?’ Should local governments have more options to restrict cat ownership in their area?’” Tanya told local media.
Australia’s crackdown on cats is not unprecedented
Australia previously declared “war” on wildcats in 2015, but the new proposal contains some new elements.
Authorities are considering imposing more restrictions on pets, such as requiring them to be kept at home at night and determining how many of them can be housed. The creation of “catfree areas” is also being considered.
Sarah Legge, one of the country’s leading researchers on the effects of cats at the Australian National University, says Australians are more likely to accept cat control measures than other countries.
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“Perhaps unfortunately our work in Australia is easier because we have lost many species,” said the researcher. “The public is much more supportive of cat management, including owners of pet cats.”
According to the researcher, “the impacts of domestic and wild cats are mixed,” which is why measures targeting both species are needed. “Pets can become strays, and strays can become wild animals,” Sarah said.
The expert reports that on average, a domestic cat kills nearly 190 mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs per year, compared to the more than 700 that a wild cat can kill.
However, because domestic cats are found in greater densities in suburban areas, the total number of animals they kill per hectare in these regions is greater than the number that feral cats kill in the wild.
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