"Feral" is a term used too loosely here

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Dipcdame

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Okay, lets put this to rest here and now. There are those on this site all too quick to refer to cats as "feral". Domestic cats in the community whether having owners or not are NOT "feral", they are strays, the same as dogs are referred to if lost or homeless.

Wikipedia refers to feral cats as such:

"In Australia, the term "feral cat" refers to cats living and breeding entirely in the wild. Significant populations of Australian wildlife that are poorly adapted to this effective predator, including marsupials, reptiles, and birds, have allowed the establishment of stable feral cat populations across most of the country.

Adult feral cats that were never socialized with humans can rarely be socialized. Feral kittens can sometimes be socialized to live with dogs. The ideal time for capture is between six and eight weeks of age. Taming at this age may take only a couple of days. Older kittens can be tamed, but it takes longer. Also, an older kitten may bond only with the person working with him or her, which can make adoption difficult but not impossible.

Feral cats may live alone but are usually found in large groups called feral colonies. The average life span of a feral cat that survives beyond kittenhood is usually cited at less than two years,[2] while an indoor domestic housecat lives an average of 14 to 20 years. However, feral cats aged 19 (Cat Action Trust) and 26 (Cats Protection) have been reported where food and shelter are available.

Urban areas, Australia, and North America are not native environments for cats. The domestic cat comes from temperate or hot, dry climates and was distributed throughout the world by humans. Cats are extremely adaptable, and feral felines have been found in conditions of extreme cold and heat. They are more susceptible to cold, damp conditions than to cold alone. In addition, they are vulnerable to predators such as dogs, feral pigs, wolves, bears, cougars, bobcats, foxes, crocodilians, birds of prey, and coyotes.

Feral cats in Australia prey on a variety of wildlife. In arid and semi-arid environments, they eat mostly introduced European rabbits and house mice; in forests and urbanised areas, they eat mostly native marsupial prey (based on 22 studies summarised in Dickman 1996). In arid environments where rabbits do not occur, native rodents are taken. Birds form a smaller part of the diet, mostly in forests and urbanised areas, reptiles also form just a small part of the diet. It has been suggested that feral cats have been present in Australia since before European settlement, and may have arrived with Dutch shipwrecks in the 17th century, or even before that, arriving from present-day Indonesia with Macassan fisherman and trepangers who frequented Australia's shores. However historical records do not suggest this, instead dating the arrival of feral cats at around 1824.[3] Intentional releases were made in the late 19th century to control mice, rabbits and rats. Cats had colonised their present range in Australia by 1890. Evidence for early predation by cats having caused major and widespread declines in native fauna is circumstantial and anecdotal and its credibility and significance is debated (Abbot 2002, Dickman 1996).

Numerous Australian environmentalists and conservationists claim that the feral cat has been an ecological disaster in Australia, inhabiting most ecosystems except dense rainforest, and being implicated in the extinction of several marsupial and placental mammal species (Robley et al 2004). But scientific evidence supporting this view has been hard to come by, and some researchers disagree with it (Abbot 2002). There is little sound evidence that feral cats significantly affect native wildlife throughout the mainland (Dickman 1996; Jones 1989; Wilson et al. 1992). Difficulties in separating the effects of cats from that of foxes (also introduced) and environmental effects have hindered research into this. Cats have co-existed with all mammal species in Tasmania for nearly 200 years.[3] The Western Shield program in Western Australia, involving broad-scale poisoning of foxes, has resulted in rapid recoveries of many species of native mammals in spite of the presence of feral cats throughout the baited area..............."

AND FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Unintended consequences

In some cases, the removal of cats had unintended consequences, such as on Macquarie Island where the removal of cats caused an explosion in the number of rabbits and rats which also harmed native seabirds.


.......................and so the flaming from cat haters begins........................................
 
I agree that feral cats arent all cats that arent off the owners property or have no owner. But better not quote wikipedia as anyone can edit it and it can be someones opinon. Im not saying that what is written is wrong. Iv got a lot to learn about this myself.
 
well dipsy you obviously are up for a fight on APS .............so as a frequant flyer on this site I am out of this post as it is sure to stir up a hornets nest ..........................................
 
it's a very good point...also one of the more interesting topics up at the moment...hope not to see this thread closed early on, not putting money on it though
 
I'm not up for a fight, I'm not that bothered really, but it may certainy bring some out of the woodwork!!!!! I have had my say.

Sitting back with funcouple, stealing their popcorn!!!! (thanks, funcouple)
 
If it doesnt have a collar its feral and its the right thing to get rid of them. When you consider how many animals cats kill the arguement that its wrong to kill them because it causes an animal to die is pretty weak.
 
I'm not getting into an argument with people over cats but I just wanted to say this.

I bet there are a lot more people in Australia who hate snakes more than they do cats, and I'm sure they would love to kill everyone of our snakes. Cats are not the only thing that kill native animals. Dogs are just as bad, so for all those people who round up cats and kill them and preach that you're doing a great service to the native animals (when in fact all it comes down to is you hate cats) then you had better round up all those stray dogs and kill them too.
 
chris, only as long as it's done by the authorities, the council, animal shelters, vets, then ok, but no-one should have the right to pick up a cat, decide it's a stray, and just take it's life. They shold drop it into an animal shelter, or council pound.
 
If it doesnt have a collar its feral and its the right thing to get rid of them. When you consider how many animals cats kill the arguement that its wrong to kill them because it causes an animal to die is pretty weak.
I agree chris, feral or stray,,who cares, they are all good for helping my accuracy with the rifle, and the wheels of my car.
Stray cats and "feral" cats have been bumping uglies with your cute lil outside pet moggies
for ages.
If the cats restricted from contact with the local wildlife then its not an issue.
Dipcy, if the cat has a collar then it gets a bit more consideration , but ill be buggered if im
catching every cat i see on the peninsula for the pound to euthanise.
Oh yes, i am not a cat hater, i just love our native fauna.
I dont hate any animal.
 
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Cats are too well established in Australia now. It's more a question now of trying to manage the numbers, educate people about the damage that cats cause and lobby local government to enforced tougher regulations.
In my opinion responsible cat owners are few and far between. I think baning them from being sold in pet shops would be a great start and although I am a dog owner I don't think that they should be sold in pet shops either.
I am not up for any arguments, so this will be my one and only post on the subject, but here is some info which I posted on another thred recently which some of you might of seen. This was published 10 years ago by DPI about cats in Victoria.

Background
Cats are present throughout Victoria, as domestic pets, free-living strays, or as truly feral animals. Estimates in all these categories suggest that there are well over one million cats in the State.

Cats are obligate carnivores, that is, they must feed on animal protein. Each cat requires a minimum of 100-150g of protein each day, more if a female is nursing a litter. This means that an equivalent of at least seven small mammals, such as native Bush Rats, must be eaten each week by each cat.

Even cats that are well fed, apparently contented pets, will instinctively hunt and kill living creatures. An average of 32 wild animals may be killed by each pet cat every year. Each feral cat can kill many more. The potential impact on wildlife is enormous.

What impact do cats have on wildlife?
Cats are known to kill and eat more than 100 native Australian species of birds, 50 mammals, 50 reptiles, three frogs and numerous invertebrate animals. As more knowledge is obtained more animals continue to be added to the list.

Cats are a major threat to wildlife in the bush, where they are common and occur in most habitats, as well as in towns and cities. For example, in 1992, in response to a plague of native rats in south-west Queensland, where the endangered native Bilby survives, feral cat numbers were observed to be at high levels. The Australian Army was called in to assist with control and, to the amazement of wildlife managers, shot 417 cats in four days within 20 km of the Bilby site. Up to six cats were shot out of a single tree in one day! Of interest is that the high cat numbers were on a cattle station on which dingo control was rigourous. Neighbouring stations, with more dingos, had less cats. Cats can survive on water from prey in areas where drinking water is unavailable.

In Australia, cats (and dogs) have no natural predators. The hunting methods of cats are different to native predators, such as quolls, and so native wildlife has few inbuilt defences against cats.

Cats are most active at night, and especially at dusk and dawn. This coincides with the activity periods of much of our Australian wildlife, placing native animals at risk.
Cats kill prey of up to their own body size; most of Australia’s endangered and vulnerable mammals are in this size category.

Cats can significantly control bird populations. Studies in South Australia indicate that domestic cats probably kill the 'standing crop' of birds, (i.e. the same number are killed as are produced each year).

Cats are significant predators on small mammals. In 15 months one wildlife shelter in Melbourne received 272 native mammals with injuries that resulted from cat attacks; 242 of these were Common Ringtail Possums. Almost all died as a result of the attacks.

Cats have also been responsible for the death of at least 25% of all Sugar Gliders registered in the former Wildlife Management Branch (now DSE) collection.

Cat’s mouths can carry bacteria to which wildlife has little resistance, and wildlife that has been injured by cats usually dies - if not from injuries, then from infection.

Cats are the definitive host of the blood protozoan disease Toxoplasmosis which can affect wildlife, sheep and humans. It can cause unco-ordination, blindness, erratic movement and unnatural daytime activity. Toxoplasmosis is often fatal for infected wildlife. It can have effects on reproduction (the disease can cause abortion in sheep and humans). Endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoots are at threat not only through direct predation by cats but from infection with the disease. It probably predisposes affected bandicoots to predation by cats or dogs and to road trauma.

Research into the reintroduction of rare mammals onto mainland Australia has found that, when foxes are controlled, cat numbers increase, continuing the attack on native species. Similarly, because rabbit is a significant part of feral cat diet in many (especially rural) areas, rabbit control without cat control may lead to increased predation on wildlife. Hence, an integrated pest animal control program is essential.

Cats also have an indirect impact on plant pollination by reducing numbers of native birds.

Although habitat alteration and hunting are also important factors, cats have been responsible for the extinction of over 30 species of birds around the world.

Cats have been the cause of decline and extinction of many bird species on a large number of islands including New Zealand, Macquarie Island, Socorro Island (Mexico), Ascension Island, the Kermadec group, Marion Island and many others. There are also records of mammals and reptiles being similarly affected - for example the endemic rodents of the Galapagos are now only found on islands without cats, and in Western Australia at least two species of now-endangered species of marsupial (Banded Hare-wallaby and Golden Bandicoot) have become extinct on the Monte Bello Islands due to cats.

Pet cats kill an average of 16 mammals, 8 birds and 8 reptiles every year. 900 000 pet cats by 32 wildlife each per year = 29 million wildlife.

Feral cats each need to eat the equivalent of seven native bush rats or ten native birds each week. 200 000 feral cats by 10 wildlife by 52 weeks = 104 million wildlife.

Stray cats in cities kill on average 5 wildlife each week. 300 000 cats by 5 wildlife by 52 weeks = 78 million wildlife.

GRAND TOTAL = 211 million wildlife killed by cats in Victoria each year!

On farms
Toxoplasmosis in sheep, spread by cat faeces, can result in abortions, stillborn lambs, and a reduced lambing percentage. It is the most common cause of infectious abortions in sheep flocks in south-eastern Australia. Cats also carry the stock disease Sarcosporidiosis. Sarcocystis infection can result in carcase condemnation at the abattoir. Cats spread these diseases by contaminating pasture, hay and other animal foods with the parasite via their faeces. They in turn are contaminated by eating rodents, birds and wildlife which contain cysts of the parasite. Farmers who wish to avoid the risk to livestock of toxoplasmosis should not let cats near their pastures.

DEPARTMENT OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES
August 1999
 
well dipsy you obviously are up for a fight on APS .............so as a frequant flyer on this site I am out of this post as it is sure to stir up a hornets nest ..........................................

I agree, the topic starter is obviously wanting a heated debate ;)
/me sits next to RBB and waits for around page 2 or 3.

sorry-dipcdame------you-lost-me-at
Wikipedia refers to....................

Bundy, ive noticed your space bar is broken isnt it :) hehe
 
I agree chris, feral or stray,,who cares, they are all good for helping my accuracy with the rifle, and the wheels of my car.


It's not only cats who are feral!! :x

Oh yes, i am not a cat hater, i just love our native fauna.
I dont hate any animal.

I'd hate to know what you'd do to an animal you did hate if that's how you treat an animal that you love.

Give me a break!!
 
There is no real specific or precise definition for feral cats..
by any government department that ive checked.
They don't revert back to a "wild type" in the same way pigs
do with easy to see morphological differences.
However i think a stray cat is for all intents and purposes
fair to call feral..


From: A Dictionary of Zoology | Date: 1999 | Author: MICHAEL ALLABY |Dictionary of Zoology 1999, originally published by Oxford University Press 1999.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-feral.html

feral From the Latin ferus, ‘wild’, an adjective applied to a wild or undomesticated organism. In particular, the term is applied to wild strains of an otherwise domesticated species or to an organism that has reverted to a wild condition following escape from captivity, etc. Some authors make these distinctions: wild species, subject to natural selection only; domestic species, subject to selection by humans; and feral species, formerly domestic species which are now, as escapees, subject once again to natural selection.
 
I dont think there is much of a divide between Feral vs Stray, It is more of a habitat term, Bush vs Urban. If they are self-sustaining they are problem animals, and claiming they keep other feral animals in check? the occasional other "pest" animal may be predated upon, however the bulk of a felines diet is small reptiles and birds.
 
i used to love cats so eventually i brought one home. he was fine for a while but then started killing everything, even when full. We lived on 5 acres and the stupid cat killed geckos, berdies, snakes :shock:, native mice etc etc.
now i hate cats. if my one cat could wipe out so much when he always had food available then imagine how much of our native wildlife is being butchered everyday.
i know his killing was my fault.. he should have been indoors, ripping up mums couch and scratching up the curtains.. no, i shouldn't of brought him in the first place, i was too young and unaware of the impact my cat would have on the environment especailly as we lived out bush surrounded by wildlife.
wouldn't it be wonderful if cat owners had to have licences just like we do for most snakes? they're not local afterall. I know the next person will probably mention dogs so I may as well add that I'm not against people having licences for them either.. i see the affect local camp dogs have on the environment too

Sorry I believe I went off topic. i know this is a touchy subject but everyone is entitled to their opinion so there's mine :rolleyes:
 
I'd hate to know what you'd do to an animal you did hate if that's how you treat an animal that you love.

Give me a break!!

Jewly - no way, I agree with Mr Ssssssssnake there...

I also love and respect all animals...

No animal deserves to be tortured - I never pull wings off flies, or even use pesticides... But I hunt and actively kill toads - and if it's via the car, then so be it.

I would kill cats the same way I'd kill pigs... and I like both of them - I think pigs are awesome animals - they're just not suited to our environment - or contrary to that they're OVER suited to our environment.

I find it funny that you'd consider what sssssnakeman does is inhumane or even 'feral'

On a second note - we know we have to control a lot of feral animals - rats, rabbits, goats, pigs, etc etc etc - and we all should try and get behind this somehow.

We know most people here are responsible cat owners - but so many are not.

The populations out there are too numerous and are in serious need of control. But not just cats - but the feral animals they prey on as well.

I haven't said anything you all don't already know!
 
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