Millions of dollars are being invested to fight the escalating problem of deadly feral cats, but there are fears the money is missing the mark.

Across the country, feral cats collectively kill billions of animals every year.

Since being brought over by Europeans more than 200 years ago, cats have contributed to the extinction of more than 20 native animals, and are driving hundreds more to the brink.

Last Wednesday, federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek announced a $60 million investment in 55 projects to halt feral cats’ “path of destruction”.

Plibersek said the selected projects aimed to “safely, quickly and humanely catch and eradicate feral cats”.

Artificial intelligence features heavily in many of the projects, including traps, a cat audio deterrent, animal net, tracking technology, and gates that allow native animals to pass while keeping out feral cats. Some of the new programs are already being tested in national parks on Kangaroo Island and Christmas Island.

“Since declaring war on feral cats, we are mobilising artificial intelligence, cat-trap technology and strong community action to combat this invasive pest and safeguard Australia’s biodiversity,” Plibersek said.

The government is also considering feedback on the draft Feral Cat Threat Abatement Plan, due out later this year.

More investment needed in environment

Biodiversity Council spokesperson Jaana Dielenberg said the investment in feral cat management activities was a great start.

But without more investment in environment protection and recovery, feral cats would continue to prolifically hunt and spread.

“Research has demonstrated that the most effective way to reduce the impact of cats on native wildlife populations … is to retain habitat and to improve the quality of habitat,” Dielenberg said.

“That’s because cats actually really like hunting in open country, where there’s not many places for animals to hide.

“The one thing that would have been really good to see was actions that were specifically targeted to reducing deforestation and habitat loss, and to protecting and improving the quality of existing habitat.”

There were feral cats in 99 per cent of Australia, with the population ranging from about two million during dry seasons to about six million after periods of heavier rainfall (when there was more prey), Dielenberg said.

Native species did not evolve with predators like cats, so when there is no place to hide, their natural defences are not very effective.

“Species like the bridled nailtail wallaby, which was widespread … [but after] Europeans first arrived, between cats and foxes, was driven almost completely to extinction … one of the ways that it avoids predators is it just stands really high and still, and hopes things don’t see it,” Dielenberg said.

“It is not an effective strategy for cats.”

Hefty health and financial costs

Aside from their “destruction” of native wildlife, feral cats also pose financial and health risks for humans and livestock, Deakin University professor of wildlife ecology and conservation Euan Ritchie said.

Since 1960, feral cats have cost Australia $18.7 billion, mainly in attempts to control numbers and range through methods such as fencing, trapping, baiting and shooting.

Ritchie said cats also carried diseases such as toxoplasmosis, which in worst cases could lead to brain damage or miscarriages.

“There’s also other diseases that feral cats are known to carry that can actually impact livestock grazing, [and] feral cats have a range of impacts on native wildlife as well as people,” he said.

Cat owners have role to play

Feral cats are not the only problem.

Pet cats can also carry and transmit diseases, and have been found to kill 546 million animals a year – 323 million of which are native.

More than 70 per cent of pet cats in Australia are allowed to roam outside, and 78 per cent of those cats hunted, research by Australian National University conducted for the Biodiversity Council, Invasive Species Council and Birdlife Australia found.

Everyday Australians can help curb this problem.

Ritchie said it was important cats were kept indoors at all times, or at least within the confines of enclosures such as cat runs or catios (enclosed patios for cats).

Dielenberg – who is a cat owner – said keeping pet cats indoors protected not only wildlife, but also the felines from potential injuries or diseases.

She emphasised the importance of getting cats desexed before they reached sexual maturity, which is typically about four months old.

“Cats do breed at a really fast rate and from a really young age, and at the moment in Australia, we have far more … kittens to pet cats being born than there are homes for them,” Dielenberg said.

“This leads to a really sad situation in which around 50,000 generally healthy cats and kittens are being put down by animal shelters across Australia every year, which is very distressing for the people who work in those shelters.

“There’s also a lot of kittens and cats that aren’t being surrendered to shelters, that are just ending up dumped in the bush.”