POSITION STATEMENT - FERAL CATS
Vision
A feral cat free Kangaroo Island with a positively controlled responsible domestic cat ownership
ultimately leading towards the Kangaroo Island community embracing a cat fee island.
Issue
Historic records indicate that cats were introduced to Kangaroo Island around 200 years ago. Today
cats are distributed over all of Kangaroo Island (Copley 1991) with four times higher activity in areas
close to townships than in bushland and pastoral areas (Southgate & Masters 2006).
The impacts of cats on KI are well known and include predation, spread of disease and social impacts .
Cats on Kangaroo Island have been found to eat 35 species of bird, 11 species of mammal at least 3
species of reptile and at least one frog species (Paton 2003).
The spread of diseases such as toxoplasmosis (a disease that causes abortion in sheep and humans, and
is deadly to marsupials), and sarcosporidiosis (a disease of sheep that causes macrocysts in sheep
making the meat unsuitable for human consumption) causes substantial economic, environmental and
social impacts on Kangaroo Island.
Impacts of cats on town communities are significant with cats straying, wailing and defecating in public
places such as children’s sand pits. They are also visible at tourist attractions such as penguin and seal
colonies, and spread human diseases such as ringworm and toxoplasmosis (Masters 2006).
Why
Economics – loss of income for producers and service providers
Environment – protection of native wildlife / habitats
Social – improved amenity
Purpose

To protect Kangaroo Island biodiversity and ecosystems

To protect livestock health and wellbeing

To enhance the value of the Kangaroo Island brand (green and clean, natural)

To improve ecotourism credibility
Guiding Principles

Support the Kangaroo Island Council’s Dog and Cat Management Plan and By-Laws

Respect the rights and interests of domestic cat owners

Respect that domestic cats have benefits such as companionship to families

Stock health

Humane catching, handling and disposal of feral cats

Respecting rights of non-cat owners
Partnerships
Kangaroo Island Council
Kangaroo Island residents
Kangaroo Island Cat Control Committee
Kangaroo Island Veterinary Clinic
Current cat owners
Dog and Cat Management Board
Agriculture Kangaroo Island and other industry groups
Condition Target
Kangaroo Island’s natural ecosystems are free from feral cats.
Cats are not having a negative impact on any native species.
Sarcosporidiosis occurrence in Kangaroo Island livestock is equal to or less than the national
average
Kangaroo Island residents actively support responsible pet ownership, the Kangaroo Island Dog
and Cat Management Plan and a feral cat free island.
The number of domestic cat registrations equals the number of known* domestic cats on
Kangaroo Island.
Reduction in the number of complaints received by Kangaroo Island Council regarding cats
straying, wailing and causing public nuisance.
No kittens are advertised as for sale and no cat changes ownership unless desexed.
Short-term actions
Promotion of responsible cat ownership
Promotion of cat traps and enforcement of By-laws
Encouraging carcass removal on roadsides and farms
Support current trapping programs on farms
Limitations to achievement
Resources available to enforce domestic Cat Control
An effective feral cat control technique/mechanism
An ability to target all feral cats including those in remote bushland
Resources available to implement a feral cat free KI once a control technique is available
Community acceptance and expectations
Legislation to prevent movement of cats to the island
Legislation
Dog and Cat Management Act 1995
Kangaroo Island Council By-Law 6 - Cats
*based on statistics from the KI Veterinary Clinic