1. Using cat containment to protect wildlife (and cats) in the ACT
Kathy Eyles and Michael Mulvaney

2. Origins of research
Collaborative project to inform cat policy and management in ACT
Invasive Animals CRC funding to conduct community survey about cat ownership and attitudes to cat management
Steering Committee - ACT Government (TAMS, ESDD, EDD), Invasive Animals CRC, RSPCA and ANU Fenner School
Reported in 2016

3. Estimates of cats in the ACT
Domestic = 56,000
Owned & roaming all times = 14,000
Owned & roaming daylight = 21,000
Stray = 6, ,000
Feral = 0.2 per sq. km (Namadgi), 90 per sq. km (Mugga Tip)
Over 10 years a single cat can have 150 offspring
Estimate 25,000 Michele Linke
Based on responses to containment questions
And on the fifth day the Lord said ,”
let there be cats,” And there were cats

4. Cats - tracking and movement studies
Incursions 80m to 1000m into reserves
Longest incursions where part of cat’s home range
Urban buffers (containment) of 500m to 1000m to prevent incursions
Mean home range 2ha, median 1ha (in Adelaide)
“I’m being
tracked by
satellite!”
Lilith = 500m
Metsers 1000m to reflect different cat behaviours

5. 4555 homes <900m from Red Hill
850 household cats can roam on Red Hill each day or night

6. Cats – Hunting and prey studies ACT
67 species prey (Barrett 1997)
Mice and rat intake high (60%) but seasonal spikes in hunting of small native birds, juvenile birds and reptiles.
Estimate of 100,000 + rosellas killed by cats in Canberra a year
Barett Mice and rat take was highest in winter and in suburban environments, whereas predation on juvenile birds and reptiles increased from late spring to summer when these species were more abundant and active.
I’m totally bipartisan. I eat as many
Birds as I do mice

7. Cats – Hunting and prey studies ACT
Reptiles, most predated species within 50m of grasslands and made up 23% of prey within 50m woodland
Predation of native birds, increased closer to woodland habitats
Spatial effect and interactions means restricting movement of cats in these edge areas
Barrett - Mice and rat take was highest in winter and in suburban environments, whereas predation on juvenile birds and reptiles increased from late spring to summer when these species were more abundant and active.
Most of all I love your vulnerability

8. Cats – Hunting and prey studies
‘Super-predators’ active hunters
With preference for prey
Moths & bats (NZ)
Reptiles (NZ & ACT)
Impact on local species abundance
Impact on invertebrates
Small skinks prey most commonly caught by active hunters
Moths at wetland in NZ young cats caught 95% invertebrates 72% porina moths - one cat 92% of moths + water no barrier swam to island
A note about prey studies – rely on what cat brings home - under-reporting as small prey eaten on encounter esp.
insects, skinks frogs, etc
My friends warned me you were different

9. Cats – Hunting and prey studies
“ ..some felines were such determined killers they would hunt their prey of choice until they had vanished from the area … and unless the specialists are controlled, ..” the survival chances of rare and endangered animals was unlikely to improve”.
 Professor Chris Dickman Cats will dine until their delicacy is rare: University of Sydney research
SMH October 20, 2014
Impact on invertebrates
Small skinks prey most commonly caught by active hunters
Moths at wetland in NZ young cats caught 95% invertebrates 72% porina moths - one cat 92% of moths + water no barrier swam to island
A note about prey studies – rely on what cat brings home - under-reporting as small prey eaten on encounter esp.
insects, skinks frogs, etc

10. Prey and tracking studies – implications
Ground dwelling and foraging wildlife are vulnerable - small size & seasonal abundance
Small woodland birds, reptiles & invertebrates in urban edge habitat

11. Community Survey – scope and sample
Ownership & care
Nuisance & strays
Attitudes to range of control measures
1277 ACT residents surveyed inc.
cat owners (n=506)
Forde and Bonner F/B residents (n=192)
questions for all respondents relating to:
feeding of stray cats;
impacts of cats not owned by the household; and
benefits of cat containment.
b)questions specifically for cat owners relating to:
household ownership of cats;
containment of cats in the household
methods of containment; and
frequency of injuries to cats.
A number of questions asked the respondent to offer a response to a statement according to their level of agreement or support. This allowed for measurement of either positive or negative response to statements about possible new measures like:
introduction of cat registration in the ACT;
programs to control stray cats;
extending cat containment in the ACT; and
management of feral cats.
“I’m sorry Edward, I suddenly realized
I’m not a cat person

12. Community survey – benefits of containment
91% of ACT residents, 74% of cat owners. 96% of Bonner and Forde residents see benefits to the community if cats contained.
3 main benefits identified
lower risk to wildlife (ACT 80%, F/B 99%)
less nuisance (defecation, pet attacks, noise at night and fighting); and
less injury and vet bills.
The first eight times it
was curiosity. The last time
I was run over.

13. Synthesis of evidence and options
Need alignment between cat containment and wildlife conservation objectives
Need 24 hour containment as ACT’s threatened fauna esp, reptiles, birds and insects are day active
Need an integrated package (regulations education, stray cat control) if serious about welfare, nuisance and predation
“Of course it is not a real
bird. If it was real we
could eat it.”