Even today, many people still believe that black cats bring bad luck. It has been speculated that cats were first introduced into Australia's environment during the 17th century. It is very probable that they escaped during shipwrecks of the Dutch ships which carried them on board to control vermin problems. When Australia was colonized, settlers brought cats with them in as pets and in order to control pests. However, many animals managed to escape captivity and by the 1850's colonies of feral cats were already established in the wild.
Feral cats are domestic cats that have somehow found their way back into the wild.
They are often cats that have been abandoned by their owners, have escaped, or are born in the wild. Yet in the 1850's people were quite happy to have a large number of cats around so that the cats would eliminate the large quantities of rats, mice, and rabbits which endangered crop yields. In fact, in the late 1800's the creatures were purposely introduced into Australia's wilds. The numbers of cats in Australia has grown so rapidly that they have begun to represent a danger for the environment. These phenomenal mating patterns, coupled with the availability of vast amounts of food have led the feline population of Australia to balloon at an almost uncontrollable rate.