Suse,

Yes "charming", but not in the sense of 'lucky', the shot was deliberate, calculated and applied with precision and with the predicted outcome.

A head shot, with a projectile that has sufficient energy to instantly disintegrates the cat's brain is the most humane way of killing them.
They are not even alarmed by the report of the rifle as the bullet is travelling at greater than the speed of sound, they are already dead before the sound reaches them.

Feral cats are a problem and a continuing one; what's your solution, Suse?

Feral cats are a problem and a continuing one; what's your solution,
by Is Mise,

The easiest answer is to hunt and kill the people who are responsible for letting them go because they will not look after their animals or spend money on them but that would be considered "not on".

Robert,

The people that let the original cats go wild are long dead so your 'human' solution won't work.

Closed off Crown land, State and national parks, doesn't work. That has been made abundantly clear by the proliferation of pest animals and plants in those areas and notwithstanding the money poured into park bureaucrats and well-paid but not very successful contractors.

There will likely never be a complete eradication of some pests. 'Blitzes', concerted efforts where pest numbers skyrocket and fauna and flora at immediate risk, are useful in very narrow circumstances and only where supported by other strategies.

As has been proved often enough for it to be beyond dispute, the solution is continuous control, continuous pressure, through a multiplicity of strategies.

Is Mise is right, culling by firearm is one of the proved means. However it is far too expensive and stop-go where paid contractors or staff are used. Contractors use helicopter shooting to make it worthwhile, otherwise the travel by land alone would incur too much cost and too little cost/benefit. Small targets and helicopters? Maybe not!

Recreational hunters do have a recognised role in providing free, continuous control pressure on harmful exotics, with the bonus that they report other developing problems such as parasites and diseases, as well as exotic weeds taking hold. Examples of 'recreational' hunters include farmers who would be better off doing more productive things, groups arranged with clubs and associations, or other licensed individuals.

The army has not been found to be useful, a damned nuisance in fact, in the past.

When we moved into our new Estate 3 years ago we were the third house then surrounded by wrens, since then families have brought in their pets including cats roaming free. Today we do not see even one wren and we back on to bush and farmland. Household cats must be contained within the home. When I lived on the farm our neighbours built a large wired cattery their cats were de-sexed and the cats had lots of climbing and exploring activity areas. Register all breeders of cats and all cats as pets be de-sexed.

I have seen cats in the wild on the north coast NSW as big as small panthers. The thing with cats they climb trees as well as dig for food.

They are beautiful animals and no responsible person would ever want to encourage hatred.

As pets, companion and therapy animals they are superb. Not bad around a food storage facility either.

They just need to be neutered. Government and voluntary organisations could help by offering a free service to the financially strapped. Not much authorities can do about the irresponsible Bogans who refuse to neuter their cats and dogs though.

Farms near cities and metro refuse dumps see more cats.

We always appreciated the reliable fellows who sought permission to cull the game animals and put some pesticide free meat on the table for their families, who also knocked off the foxes and other vermin through opportunity shots. They were easy to brief and saved us from far bigger losses over the years.

There were the occasional nuisances about, but almost invariably they would be the drunken, firearms-unlicensed louts from the country town and known by police of course.