Dudley residents prepare for winter war on feral cats as trapping blitz offensive set to launch

News article | 17 July 2023

Local residents have the chance to contribute to the Dudley Peninsula feral cat eradication program this month during the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board’s second annual cat trapping blitz.

Dudley residents prepare for winter war on feral cats as trapping blitz offensive set to launch

The Dudley-wide blitz will run from 24 July to 6 August and is a chance to coordinate the Board’s trapping and control efforts to maximise its impact on the ground.

Feral Cat Eradication Program Acting Team Leader Josh Mulvaney said the Board was running the blitz to align with the time of year that cage traps are most effective.

“We have found that the middle of the winter is the most active time for feral cats to enter traps and having the public involved and assisting with our work is really beneficial,” Mr Mulvaney said.

“Last year we had 31 landholders participate and together we accomplished over 4000 trap nights in 10 days. That resulted in the catching of 61 feral cats, which was a huge effort!”

The Dudley Peninsula feral cat eradication program has made huge progress since it began, with 834 cats caught since May 2020. The line of eradication continues to move steadily westwards towards the new cat fence at Pelican Lagoon.

Mr Mulvaney said those who wished to be involved in this year’s blitz would need to:

Set cage traps between 24 July and 6 August.
Check the traps in the morning each day and reapply bait as needed (we use raw chicken wings)
Notify the Board when you capture a cat and we can come and scan for a microchip before either euthanizing or passing to KI Council. We are also keen to collect data on dead cats for our monitoring.

Anyone living on the Dudley Peninsula who would like to participate should contact Mr Mulvaney on josh.mulvaney@sa.gov.au or 0473 184 376.

Mr Mulvaney said trap setters should not hesitate to get in touch with the team if they would like advice on how and where to set traps. An instructional video on how to set a cage trap can be viewed here:

Feral Cat trapping on Kangaroo Island: A basic guide to using cage traps

“We wish to thank all the landholders on the Dudley Peninsula who have assisted us in our work so far and look forward to new trappers coming on board to help us this year,” he said. “This eradication program would not be possible without assistance from locals and we appreciate their ongoing support in our quest to provide a feral-free haven for our livestock and native animals.”