Reducing your pets’ impact on wildlife
They might be man’s best friend, but they are definitely not wallaby’s best friend. Our domesticated animals bring a lot of joy to our lives, but they can simultaneously be very damaging to the livelihoods of our native species. While it’s important for your pets to have a good space in which to run around and stretch their legs, it’s also crucial to remember that as soon as night falls, these spaces are going to be shared with our native wildlife.
Both dogs and cats have historically been hunters, and most of our pets retain these instincts. When they catch the scent of potential prey, house training can go out the window in an instant. Dogs will chase after all manner of Tasmanian mammals, and while it might be in a playful manner, it can be a very stressful and sometimes fatal experience for the animal being chased. Dogs have also been known to catch and kill smaller mammals such as bandicoots. Cats are a little more tactile than dogs, and will efficiently hunt down native birds, small mammals, and reptiles.
How can you reduce your pets’ impact?
Lock them inside at night
This is the most important step! Our native animals are primarily nocturnal creatures and will be out in force overnight. If we can keep our pets safe and sound inside the house or within a secure enclosure, we can limit the number of interactions and consequential incidents between domesticated and native animals. If possible, keep your pets secure from before dusk until after dawn.
Keep them well fed and active
While this won’t stop your pet from hunting entirely, making sure that they are adequately fed and have had enough exercise will reduce their motivation to hunt for more food.
Provide separate outdoor spaces for wildlife and pets
If possible, enclose an area for your pet to be able to go outside, while still facilitating the movement of native wildlife through your property. An effective example of this is a ‘cat run’, which offers your cats a bit of outside movement without allowing free roam. A common approach to reducing pets’ impact on wildlife is to wildlife-proof a backyard. However, this can significantly reduce the available habitat for wildlife, especially in built-up suburban environments and ought to be avoided wherever possible.
Colourful and loud collars
Cats rely on stealth to hunt their prey effectively. A simple way to reduce their stealthiness is to put a loud bell on their collar, which will alert birds and other wildlife to your cat’s movements. Similarly, putting reflective or bright colours on your pets’ collars is an effective way of reducing their hunting success.
For the benefit of bats
When considering managing your pet’s impact on wildlife, it’s worth sparing a thought for bats – particularly if you own a cat. We spoke with bat expert, Lisa Cawthern who provided us with the following tips to consider:
You probably already know that bats are nocturnal. What you might not realise is that they represent a relatively large proportion of Tassie’s nocturnal mammals and are most vulnerable to predation by cats during the day when they are in their roosts in a deep sleep (torpor). It’s during the day that pet cats across Tasmania will often bring their owners bats, and in fact can wipe out a breeding colony in a couple of days (which could take decades to recover).
If you count a cat among your housemates, it might be worth considering keeping them inside during the day, as well as the night for the benefit of your local bat colony.
