eat a wide range of prey and can survive with limited access to drinking water.can colonise and survive in a wide range of habitats.Why cats are a dangerous invasive species Predation by feral cats has been listed as a key threatening process in New South Wales by the NSW Scientific Committee. They are present in very high numbers in urban and outer-urban areas and threaten the survival of native animals in nearby bushland. They have had a serious impact on populations of bilby, mala and numbat.Ĭats have also caused or contributed to the failure of numerous attempts to reintroduce native animals into their natural habitat, such as the attempted reintroduction of the rufous hare-wallaby in central Australia.Ĭats are widespread across Australia and pose a significant threat to small native mammals and ground-nesting birds. Populations of feral cats continue to grow because they are highly adaptable and female cats reproduce throughout their adult lives.Ĭats are a pest animal because they hunt and prey on native species.Ĭats are one of the primary causes of the decline and extinction of many Australian native species over the last 200 years, including species of hopping-mice, small rodents, hare-wallaby, bettong, bandicoot and several species of birds. They survive and thrive in a diverse range of habitats, including deserts, grasslands and woodlands.

Cats are solitary animals and mainly nocturnal.Ĭats are found all over Australia, including many offshore islands. They are carnivores and exceptional hunters. Feral cats are the same species as domestic cats but live, hunt and breed in the wild. Feral cats are a major threat to biodiversity and have caused the extinction of several species of native Australian mammals and birds.Ĭats ( Felis catus) are an introduced predator that can devastate native animal populations.

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