How does cat behaviour influence the development and implementation of monitoring techniques and lethal control methods for feral cats?

Abstract

The need for lethal control of feral cats will remain in some contexts and potentially increase in others, alongside an obligation to develop and apply methods that are as cost-effective, humane and target-specific as possible. Drawing on practices particularly used in Australia, New Zealand and on offshore islands we review current lethal techniques applied for feral cat removal, such as shooting, trapping and poison baiting, and how our understanding of feral cat behaviour has influenced their development and application.