Resources

Case studies

Case studies show practical examples of how other people have undertaken feral cat or fox management programs and their outcomes.

These case studies can give you valuable insights for planning similar projects, with their detailed account of methodologies, challenges and successes. You can learn which techniques were most effective, understand potential obstacles and apply lessons learned to increase your project’s likelihood of success.

More case studies on feral cat and fox management will be added as they are developed. A range of other case studies can be found on the PestSmart website.

Fact sheets

We are building a library of short, downloadable fact sheets and infographics on the impacts of feral cats and foxes as well as management and monitoring techniques. We are keen to hear what resources would be helpful for your engagement activities. Contact us with your suggestions or common questions.

Newsletters

Want to keep up to date with feral cat and fox related events, training and funding opportunities; the latest research and tools; and other feral cat and fox management programs from across the country?

Sign up to the National Feral Cat and Fox Management Coordination’s monthly newsletters below.

PestSmart

Pest management guides

Our glovebox guides will also help you manage feral cats and foxes as well as rabbits. (Reducing rabbit numbers can reduce feral cat and fox numbers in some areas where they are the main prey species, because they lose a major food source.) Useful resources include: 

• Glovebox guide for managing feral cats
• Planning guide for feral cat management in Australia
• Glovebox guide for managing foxes
• Planning guide for fox management in Australia
• Field guide to poison baiting: wild dogs and foxes
• Glovebox guide for managing rabbits.

FeralScan

A community resource for monitoring and recording pests

FeralScan is a free community-designed website and smartphone app that allows you to record observations and evidence of introduced pest animals (such as foxes and feral cats), the damage they cause (including predation of native wildlife or lambs), and control actions in your local area (such as baiting, trapping and shooting).

It contains 450,000 records and photos of pest animals mapped by communities across Australia. It has been used by more than 49,000 people including farmers, landholder associations, community groups, people living in urban areas, volunteers, Indigenous groups, professional pest controllers, local government authorities, catchment groups and state government biosecurity agencies managing pest animals and their impacts.

It is free and easy-to-use for monitoring, recording and rapidly communicating information about pest species, and promotes collaboration through local targeted pest animal management.

FeralScan can be used to record and view information about pests in your local area, stay informed about pests in your area, keep your community updated and actively involved, alert authorities about pest problems, identify opportunities for control, and evaluate control efforts.  Users can print maps, view and export pest records, access practical information resources and connect with support.

For foxes and feral cats, FeralScan can be a useful tool for documenting observations and impacts of these species to identify opportunities for local control programs.

FeralScan users also receive advice and practical information about how to prevent pest impacts, how to control pests, and are assisted to connect with support.

Working together to coordinate monitoring and control of pests will get the best outcomes, especially when using FeralScan as a private group to document and map their activities. By joining or creating a private group in FeralSacn, you will be able to see detailed reports from other people in their local area.

Data recorded can help local community groups, local and regional councils, biosecurity agencies and research organisations, better target pests through coordinated programs.

FeralScan data provides an up-to-date picture of where pests are causing problems or being managed by people throughout Australia.

The app is available for both iOS or Android devices and the website www.feralscan.org.au.

Community Invasives Action

Pest and weed problems are also ‘people’ problems. The Community Invasives Action website is an initiative of the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions to provide tools and information about good engagement with local communities to improve  programs by using local knowledge, more people and grassroots support.

Effective community engagement involves a diverse group of people addressing complex issues to achieve sustainable and lasting outcomes.

Community Invasives Action hosts a range of resources for people coordinating community-led action.

Threatened Species Action Plan

The Threatened Species Action Plan 2022–2032 maps a pathway to protect, manage and restore Australia’s threatened species and important natural places.

Managing feral cats and foxes is key for many threatened species – they are important targets in the plan.

The plan builds on the Threatened Species Action Plan 2021–2026, which was developed with input from experts, the community, natural resource managers, scientists, conservation groups and First Nations peoples.

Under the plan, the Australian Government has developed a Saving Native Species grant program to provide $224.5 million over four years to support the recovery of our unique plants, animals and ecological communities.

Threat abatement plans

Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), when ‘key threats’ are listed, a threat abatement plan can be put in place.

Threat abatement plans (like those for feral cats and foxes) establish a national framework to guide and coordinate Australia’s response to these key threats.

The plans identify research, management and other actions to ensure the long-term survival of native species and ecological communities to reduce the impact of the key threat. They also guide management activities so that all levels of government, land managers, researchers and communities are contributing in a coordinated way.

The background documents of the recent draft Threat Abatement Plan for Predation by Feral Cats provide useful information on native species susceptibility to predation.

Feral cat taskforce

The Feral Cat Taskforce is an advisory and coordinating group supporting action to reduce the impact of feral cats on our native wildlife. It provides information and support to the Threatened Species Commissioner, the Commonwealth, state and territory governments and other members on best practice feral cat management.

Other resources

Banner Photo: National Feral Cat and Fox Management Coordination Program.