Impact of feral and domestic cats under investigation

The problem of feral and domestic cats in Australia will be examined in a new federal parliamentary inquiry that got underway this week.

Feral cats have caused the extinction of some ground-dwelling birds and small to medium-sized mammals and they are a major cause of decline for animals such as the bilby, bandicoot, bettong, and numbat.

Feral and domestic cats can also carry infectious diseases which can be transmitted to native animals, domestic livestock, and humans.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy will also examine the effectiveness of Commonwealth action and cooperation with states and territories on this issue.

Written submissions, addressing one or more of the terms of reference, must be received by  30 July 2020.