Feral cat

A feral cat (Felis catus) is any cat that is living in the wild. True feral cats are those that are born in the wild. Semi-feral cats are those that have been cared for by humans before straying; being released; or being abandoned.

Feral cat is a restricted invasive animal under the Biosecurity Act. They must not be moved, fed, given away, sold, or released into the environment. They are also listed as an asset protection species in our Biosecurity Plan. These species occur across the whole of the Sunshine Coast. They cause some impacts where they occur. These species should be managed when they threaten or impact high-value assets. This may include important environmental, agricultural, or community assets.

Where they live

Feral cats are able to thrive in many different types of terrain. They are known to occur in many areas of the Sunshine Coast.

Problems caused by feral cats

Feral cats, with their strong hunting instincts, are a serious threat to many native animals. This includes small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects and even fish.

Feral cats are opportunistic predators. They also pose threats to small livestock, domestic pets and poultry both through predation and through spread of disease.

Protecting against feral cats

Under the Biosecurity Act all Queenslanders have a general biosecurity obligation (GBO). The GBO requires people to manage feral cats on their land.

To get help to protect your place from feral cats visit the managing invasive animals web page.

More information

• Download the Feral cat fact sheet (PDF, 5.9MB)
• Visit the Biosecurity Queensland website