Time to speak up and get catty

WHEN Cradle Coast NRM’s Regional Cat Management Coordinator, Kylie Walker, was at this year’s Agfest, one farmer told her how diseased cats had wiped out around 15 per cent of his lambs.

Ms Walker said toxoplasmosis among cats had the biggest impact on the agriculture industry.

“Cats are a required vector for that parasite, and it can cause lamb losses.

“It’s probably the biggest problem that I hear about when I talk to farmers,” she said.

Ms Waker said many farmers engaged in self-management of cats.

Her comments coincide with the launch of the inaugural TassieCat Tasmanian Cat Management Survey.

A joint initiative between NRM North, Cradle Coast NRM and Ten Lives, the public is being asked to share views on topics such as desexing, containment, and the impact of cats on native wildlife.

The Tasmanian Cat Management program has been running since 2018.

“We’re sort of at a point now where we want to get a snapshot of how effective the initiative has been, what people’s attitudes to cats are, and different markers of responsible ownership,” Ms Walker said.

The initial goal was to have 350 respondents to the survey.

But Ms Walker said they hit that mark around two days after the survey went public.

“However, the more we get in survey respondents, the better, because it’s really important that it’s not just cat owners who fill it in,” she said.

“We also want to hear from people that are indifferent to or don’t like cats, people that work in conservation, and people within the agricultural industry as well.”

The survey will feature specific questions, some of which are targeted towards cat owners, along with the opportunity to provide information about feline management. The survey closes on June 15.