Response of feral cats to a track‐based baiting programme using Eradicat^® baits

Abstract

Summary The feral Cat (Felis catus) is a significant threat to Australian fauna, and reducing their impacts is considered an essential action for threatened species conservation. Poison baiting is increasingly being used for the broad scale control of feral cats. In this study, we measured the population response of feral cats to a track‐based baiting programme using Eradicat® baits in the semi‐arid northern wheatbelt region of Western Australia. Over two years, 1500 baits were laid once annually and the response of feral cats was measured using remote cameras in a before–after, control–impact design. There was a significant reduction in feral cat activity in the second year, but not the first. During bait uptake trials, corvids removed the most number of baits, followed by cats and varanids. The lack of a response to baiting in the first year may be due to existing low cat numbers in the baited area and/or the timing of the baiting. We provide a list of key recommendations to help inform future cat baiting programmes and research.

Impacts and management of feral cats Felis catus in Australia

“…), although they have also been dispersed by hand in the southern rangelands (Fig. , site 4; Doherty & Algar ) and suspended above ground to limit interference from non‐target species at Christmas Island (Algar & Brazell ).…”

Ecology and predator associations of the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) in the Pilbara

“…However, it is important to note new delivery mechanisms and bait preparations are being tested, with promising results. For example, the use of Eradicat®, a bait prepared with kangaroo meat, chicken fat, flavour enhancers, and poison (Algar et al 2013;Doherty and Algar 2015). Eradicat® currently being tested in the Pilbara (Morris et al 2015;Morris et al 2016).…”

A moral panic over cats

“…); making questionable or missing moral justifications for introducing disease (Berthier et al. ) and indiscriminate poisons (Doherty & Algar ) to control cats; considering the role of values and ethics as drivers of policy disputes, such as those over cats (Shrader‐Frechette & McCoy ; Lynn ); and considering the serious theoretical and ethical debate within invasion biology over its presuppositions and value judgments about introduced species (Chew & Hamilton ; Wallach et al ; Munro et al. ).…”

“…Third, the ecological and public-health issues do not touch on the ethics and policy problems that are core to understanding the dispute over cats-grappling with the intrinsic value of all animals (wild and domestic) in conservation (Midgley 1998;Santiago-Ávila et al 2018); balancing moral obligations to both native and non-native species (Lynn 1998;Lynn 2018); learning how to coexist with wild and domestic animals across a range of urban to wild landscapes (Hadidian et al 2006;Hadidian 2015); changing paradigms of conservation that encourage nonlethal methods of management (Ramp & Bekoff 2015;Wallach et al 2018;Treves et al 2019); making questionable or missing moral justifications for introducing disease (Berthier et al 2000) and indiscriminate poisons (Doherty & Algar 2015) to control cats; considering the role of values and ethics as drivers of policy disputes, such as those over cats (Shrader-Frechette & McCoy 1994;Lynn 2006); and considering the serious theoretical and ethical debate within invasion biology over its presuppositions and value judgments about introduced species (Chew & Hamilton 2011;Wallach et al 2015;Munro et al 2019). Both conservation and animal protection communities must be willing to grapple with these value-laden issues directly.…”