Feral Cat Problem

By Ian Boyd, on February 19th, 2015

It is a pity that it takes the slaughter of a Night Parrot by a feral cat to get some people up in in arms baying for action. Whether it is the death of Night Parrot or a Peaceful Dove, I feel it is well passed time that a concerted effort by the birding world be made to kick the ‘powers to be’ into action re the out of control feral cat problem. Hopefully, some of the vocal deep thinkers out there could guide us ordinary every birders into ways we can establish some positive action. Postings on Birding-Aus and blogs etc would not even cause a ripple. What can we do and how can we do it. Rather than rhetoric, let’s be pro-active and get something moving before it is too late; not only for the Night Parrot but for those little beauties that frequent my backyard. Ian Boyd Townsville

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goodfellow

February 20, 2015 at 2:42 am

I’m not sure about Queensland, but the biggest threat to biodiversity in the Top End by far, are weeds and an inappropriate fire regime. They remove understorey and midstorey leaving wildlife nowhere to hide. Then, at least in Kakadu (and probably elsewhere) the cats clean up. Sure the toads have caused some local extinctions, but their impact is minimal compared to the devastation being wrought by these weeds. All were brought in either to feed cattle or as contaminants. Denise On 19 Feb 2015, at 3:53 pm, David Clark < meathead.clark5@gmail.com> wrote:

nagrompr

February 19, 2015 at 9:49 pm

I’ve scribbled out some initial thoughts in response to your email, and while I probably should go over it more carefully, I’m going to bed. I’m sure other people are doing something, and they don’t need to be told by me how to suck eggs. Just briefly, I think the iron is hot on this topic and widespread action just might achieve something. There are a number of levels to work on: . Politicians and political . Government agencies and policy makers . Organised conservation groups and policy influencers . Media . The public Peter Morgan The conservation battle is never finally won; the development battle is. e^(πί)+1=0 OK, but sometimes a trigger works, and it makes sense to use it in “baying for action” While I am not prepared to go into this in detail in a public forum like this, I have been working by contacting one govt agency and one peak conservation group to try to get a concerted and coordinated action under way. It might or might not come to anything, but it will have a better chance if others also do something similar. I will do more tomorrow. I have used some of the chat from this forum which has made some very good points about feral cats. What is needed and has most chance of achieving something in protecting native fauna from cats is a considered widespread push. It does have to go beyond just talking among ourselves. So, I make a few suggestions: 1. Urge Birdlife Australia and/or any conservation groups you might have an affiliation with to pursue this matter with their fellow groups and with government agencies and members of parliament in all states. 2. If you are happy to, talk to the media through letters to the editor or other ways if you have that option. 3. Be prepared for a backlash, but keep working on the policy makers. 4. While you might not be happy about concentrating on an “icon” species, it is a good way to get the general public interested and supportive. And in doing so, you can help a whole suite of other species. While I understand and am supportive of your comment about Night Parrots and Peaceful Doves, protection of the latter can have a better chance if you focus on the former. That’s the way the world works. 5. Make considered submissions that show you are acting with some real understanding of the issue. 6. Couldn’t agree more

carlsclifford

February 19, 2015 at 7:06 pm

Best thing to do, is for anyone who feels that there should be positive action by State and Federal governments regarding feral cat control, is to write to the State and Federal Ministers and your State and Federal MPs (don’t forget your state’s Senators). With MPs, it is probably best to send the letters to their electoral offices, then they are less likely to be caught up in the great Parliament House filter. Nothing will happen if we all sit on our hands, saying “someone should do something about it. Carl C

ccgfh

February 19, 2015 at 6:05 pm

Ian, You have to start somewhere right? Why don’t all members email greg.hunt.mp@environment.gov.au as a starting point. I have emailed Greg Hunt. Let’s see what the Minister has to say. I also had a very nice and supportive email from John Young this afternoon who “is about to become very vocal” about the issue “publicly”. John also said he would carry a firearm if he could! If there is support I will set up a website to get things started. We have car enthusiasts as Senators these days……Feral Cat Party? If anyone knows Green MPs, would love to know their position, and also that of the Opposition. What are Birdlife Australia doing in this area? Cheers, Charles Hunter

February 19, 2015 at 5:10 pm

I’ve been trying to get some action on cats ever since I was an alderman on Darwin City Council in the early 1980s. I’d like to see members of every birding/natural history organisation in the country vow that they will not keep a cat, or if they already have one, that they will not get another after that pet dies. If people really really cannot do without their cats (and I have dear friends who have the sweetest, most loveable felines), then it should be confined with large fines and adverse publicity should it escape. Neither should cats be legitimised by, for example through advertising of cat food on television. Perhaps cans of cat food could picture photos of the dead Night Parrot, in imitation of the campaign against smoking! Children should learn at preschool about the damage cats do. It’s also about time some of our celebrities took a stand on cats. Personally I believe it un-Australian to keep an animal that is such a threat to our wildlife. Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71 Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841 PhD candidate, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW. Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia Nominated by Earthfoot for Condé Nast’s International Ecotourism Award, 2004. 043 8650 835 On 19 Feb 2015, at 3:32 pm, Ian Boyd < ninox45@bigpond.com> wrote:

meathead.clark5

February 19, 2015 at 4:23 pm

Good point Ian, feral cats have an extremely wide range of prey species and I’m not sure that the Night Parrot is more important than other endangered/vulnerable species. Of course, it could be argued that Cane Toads are doing more to reduce biodiversity than feral cats and, while I think it is important to tackle the cat menace, it shouldn’t be at the expense of tackling the toad menace. You’re right though, as a group we should be working on getting something done about cats, toads, foxes, and all the other issues that are threatening biodiversity. Cheers David

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