Feral Cats Winter/Spring 2014

[Dolerite Walker]

Recent sightings:

The Needles (near Tim Shea), early afternoon: black cat
Adamsfield Track, early evening: tabby
Mt Field, near Seal Lake lookout, mid morning: black cat
Mt Wellington Big Bend fire trail, mid morning: tortoiseshell
Lake St Clair, 1 hour's walk along the lake from Cynthia Bay, early a'noon: black cat

All of them knew they were out of reach. Frustrating.
250 000 in Tasmania is the estimate.

Any others to report?

[pazzar]

I saw a black cat on Lake Dobson Rd, not far down from the Mt Field East track. This was in August.

[Iman Oldie]

Seen a healthy looking large black cat on the north side of Duck Reach Power Station a few days ago.

[ant_eater]

Got a glimpse of a large cat on scotts peak road last month.

[dunamis]

It's a pity bush walkers can't apply for a special license to carry a .22 for feral cat control in national parks

[TheGhostWhoWalks]

Expect the gov't to do absolutely nothing regarding feral cats.
They have made a pretense with the Cat Management Act, which pretty much neuters anyone who wants to control the buggers.
Shooting one or one hundred cats will make absolutely no difference in the grand scheme of things.
A cat flu or similar that can wipe out thousands after registered moggies have been vaccinated is one of the only realistic options.
Baiting and trapping are expensive and unrealistic on the ground.
And the mythical fox is still consuming vital funds for serious pest management in this state.
That's my moment on the soap box

[headwerkn]

Here's two that didn't get away...

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Have seen a few more about the place but not as many as in previous years. 'tis a good thing.

[headwerkn]

It's a pity bush walkers can't apply for a special license to carry a .22 for feral cat control in national parks

Recreational hunting of pest species should be allowed in non-traffic'd areas of national parks and other protected reserves, as they do in Victoria and NSW already. Feral animals do not respect private land and state forest boundaries.... national parks, protected conservation areas and WHAs inadvertently became safe havens for cats, rabbits, deer, etc. to multiply and impact heavily on native species.

[headwerkn]

Shooting one or one hundred cats will make absolutely no difference in the grand scheme of things.

Disagree. At a local area level, a couple of people shooting regularly can make a meaningful impact. When I came to the property I'm on now, rabbits were everywhere, cats were seen regularly, bandicoots rarely seen as were quolls. Four years on, it's the other way around... bandicoots everywhere (they tear apart my front lawn), plenty of quolls, maybe see a feral cat once a month or two and as for rabbits, well there's still the odd one kicking about but I haven't had rabbit pie in a while now

Of course what's needed are a majority of landowners putting in the effort to control pests on their own properties - too many can't/won't/don't do enough - as well as in state forests and other public areas. If the government wants to get involved, then coordinating a farmer assist program to help get urban based hunters out on their properties and help them do the work. Many city based hunters are all too keen to help, getting access to properties is always a sticking point. A formal program could help to weed out the 1% of *&^%$#@! who scare off landowners, as well as coordinate where effort should be places and to capture the appropriate data for analysis.

In the grand scheme of things, what's REALLY REQUIRED is actually stopping idiots from dumping unwanted kittens/cats in the bush, the muppets who feed feral populations, as well as actually getting cat owners to properly secure their pets and not let them roam.

A cat flu or similar that can wipe out thousands after registered moggies have been vaccinated is one of the only realistic options.

You may well be right but I'd rather us properly evaluate a more humane solution first. A bullet to the head results in little to no pain. Dying a slow miserable death from some kind of disease certainly doesn't. I've seen too many myxo/calici'd rabbits in various stages of agony. Horrible stuff.

And the mythical fox is still consuming vital funds for serious pest management in this state.

To be fair the FFTF, since their inception, have always been knocking over feral cats. They just didn't make much noise about it because you get the weirdo cat loving freaks having a whinge. At least now it's a general Invasive Species Unit though. Better late than never.

[Ally-pop]

I saw a Large Tabby cat on West Picton Spur 1 yesterday afternoon at about 3pm. Wandering down the middle of the road in broad daylight.

[skog]

Something needs to be done about the feral population, as I would drive past a flat one almost daily on my drive to work.

Perhaps it is time that PWS tackle the problem in parks as they did with feral pests on Macquarie Island (Yes I know that it will be harder)

[icefest]

In the grand scheme of things, what's REALLY REQUIRED is actually stopping idiots from dumping unwanted kittens/cats in the bush, the muppets who feed feral populations, as well as actually getting cat owners to properly secure their pets and not let them roam.

This.

Make it illegal to sell a non desexed kitten or cat. If you also make it a requirement for registration that they be desexed, then there would be fewer extra cats each year.

[corvus]

In the grand scheme of things, what's REALLY REQUIRED is actually stopping idiots from dumping unwanted kittens/cats in the bush, the muppets who feed feral populations, as well as actually getting cat owners to properly secure their pets and not let them roam.

This.

Make it illegal to sell a non desexed kitten or cat. If you also make it a requirement for registration that they be desexed, then there would be fewer extra cats each year.

Totally agree our much loved desexed Cat does not go out side other than on a harness and lead and we have Bandicoots in the yard.