Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017C00220:reg:1:p3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017C00220
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 1 (pt 3/9)
Character Range: 10861–13777

adequate resources to achieve effective on-ground control of feral cats at critical sites, improve the effectiveness of management programs, and measure and assess outcomes for threatened species and biodiversity more broadly. Various programs in natural resource management, at national, state and regional levels, can make significant contributions to implementing the plan. In particular, regional natural resource management plans can identify links and contributions between their pest animal management actions and this threat abatement plan.

1.2  Threat abatement plan for predation by feral cats
Section 1.2 provides an overview of the threat, impacts and management of predation by feral cats. The background document should be referred to for further information.

1.2.1  The threat
Feral cats are a serious vertebrate pest in Australia, and have severe to catastrophic effects on native fauna (Woinarski et al. 2012).
Predation of native species by feral cats is the focus of threat abatement and this plan.  However, feral cats also have impacts, although lesser, through competition and disease transmission that are incorporated into actions within the plan to ensure a holistic approach is taken to managing the impact of feral cats.
The first recorded instance of cats being brought to Australia was by English settlers in the 18th century with feral cats spreading across the continent by the 1890s (Abbott 2008, Abbot 2002). Cats were deliberately released into the wild during the 19th century to control introduced rabbits and house mice (Rolls 1969). Today feral cats are distributed through all habitats in mainland Australia and Tasmania and on some offshore islands.
It is very difficult to accurately estimate the number of feral cats in Australia because feral cat density varies significantly depending on rainfall, food availability, presence of other predators and other factors. There have been a number of estimates of the density of cats based on studies from different areas of Australia; Denny and Dickman (2010) list some published figures up to 2010. These estimates provide for an idea of cat densities in that particular habitat (e.g. mallee, desert, temperate forest) and at that point in time. Some of these studies, such as Burrows and Christensen (1994), provide drought and non-drought estimates, and some, such as Jones and Coman (1982) provide winter and summer estimates. In the past, these estimates have been extrapolated to all habitats across Australia to provide an estimate of the number of feral cats nationally. Instead of attempting to accurately estimate how many feral cats there are across all of Australia, there should be instead, better estimates of the impact that feral cats are having on threatened and non-threatened native fauna. Doherty et al. (2015) state that reducing the impacts of feral cats is a priority for conservation managers across the