Where food is more abundant, such as peri-urban areas, feral cat numbers tend to be higher with smaller home ranges. In rural and bushland environments, feral cats are generally found in low numbers with relatively large home ranges. In Victoria, feral cat home ranges can vary between <1 km2 and 10km2 if food resources are scarce with males typically having larger home ranges than females. During the day, feral cats tend to lay up in sheltered areas, including rabbit burrows, hollow logs, or dense thickets of scrub. Their two greatest periods of activity occur around sunrise and sunset. Behaviourįeral cats are mostly solitary and although they may be active at any time, they are usually more active at night. Readily distinguished breeds of domestic cat, such as Persian or Siamese, are not found in feral populations. Some deliberately bred characteristics of domestic cat breeds, such as very long coats or flat faces, are not common in feral cats. Exotic breeds of cat, such as Persian or Siamese, are not found in feral populations. Other colour variants such as ginger or grey, are also seen in feral cats. The most common coat colour of feral cats in Australia is striped tabby, but blotched tabby and black are also common. It is common for feral cats to grow larger than most domestic cats with adult males normally weighing from 3.4 to 6.4kg (average weight 4.5kg) and adult females from 2.4 to 4.4kg (average weight 3.2kg). They have agile bodies, acute senses and fine coordination that is well suited for hunting. In appearance, Feral cats can be difficult to distinguish from domestic cats. Feral cats have been shown to move into areas burned by bushfires, where surviving native species are at greater risk of predation through a reduction in sheltering understorey vegetation. Feral cats usually reach their highest densities on small islands or in human-modified habitats, such as farms and rubbish tips as resources are often abundant in these environments. When prey is abundant, cat populations may increase rapidly, but when food becomes scarce, they typically decrease. It is difficult to accurately estimate feral cat populations due to their cryptic behavioural patterns and the changing environmental conditions. Today, feral cats exist over much of Australia and have successfully colonised most habitats.ĭistribution and population density in Victoriaįeral cats are widely distributed throughout Victoria including several offshore islands. Cats were also deliberately released into the wild during the 19th century to control rabbits and mice. Populations History of spreadĬats may have arrived in Australia as early at the 17th century, though it is believed that European settlers brought them out as pets during the late 18th century. Read more about the classification of invasive animals in Victoria. Read more about the feral cat declaration. The declaration applies to areas of Crown land managed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), Parks Victoria, Phillip Island Nature Park and the four Alpine Resort Management Boards. This declaration came into effect on 26 July 2018. Cats (feral or wild) are a declared established pest species on specified Crown land in Victoria under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CALP Act).
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