Skip to content

That tricksy Felixy

Dr Alex Kutt (Ecologist)
Published 12 Jun 2018 by Dr Alex Kutt (Ecologist)

I recently visited Currawinya National Park to learn more about Felixer cat traps from their inventor, cat management expert Dr John Read (Ecological Horizons).

It’s well known that cats have a huge and often catastrophic impact on native species and are notoriously difficult to control.

We urgently need an effective solution that that can be deployed in diverse landscapes, not just to bring endangered species back from the brink of extinction, but also to prevent other species declining to that point. Felixer traps are a promising candidate.

Feral cats are so hard to control because they are reluctant to take baits or enter traps, particularly when prey such as small native mammals are abundant. John created the Felixer trap after thinking for many years about the problem.

His answer was to take advantage of cats’ Achilles’ heel – their fastidiousness in cleaning.

The Felixer takes advantage of this behavioural trait, spraying them with a toxin that they then lick off to their detriment. The trap uses a series of inbuilt laser sensors that distinguish cats from all other non-target species, ensuring that only feral cats are sprayed.

Bush Heritage has previously assisted John with his rigorous field testing of the units, mostly at Pullen Pullen Reserve, which is home to the endangered Night Parrot. Now we have taken delivery of five new Felixer Mark3 traps for testing at two new field sites.

Firstly, we will use them on Cape York in collaboration with our partners at the Olkola Aboriginal Corporation. The Olkola rangers have evidence that cats are taking Alwal (Golden-shouldered Parrot) chicks from their nests. So deploying Felixer traps at nest entrances could be an ideal solution to this key threat to the species’ survival.

The second test will occur at Ethabuka Reserve in Central Queensland. Cats are known to preferentially hunt in recently burnt areas, so we'll burn small narrow fire-lines and place Felixers along them.

The traps are still in a test phase and for now we won’t be arming them with any toxin.

Instead the traps have inbuilt cameras that record both target and non-target animals that pass by or investigate the trap. They'll also record whether the traps would have been triggered if armed. John will use this data for further fine-tuning.

Once we're happy with the Felixer’s ability to reliably discriminate between cats and other species, we'll arm them with 1080 toxin. Then we'll be able to move on to testing both the impact of Felixer traps on cat numbers and in turn the degree to which this actually benefits native species.

- Dr Alex Kutt, Ecologist, Arid and Riverine Queensland

The purchase of our new Felixers has been generously supported by the Queensland Government Everyone's Environment and Nature Assist grant programs.

The Felixer in the field – a big green box that looks like K9 from Dr Who. The Felixer in the field – a big green box that looks like K9 from Dr Who.
Testing the Felixer with a canine model – the trap did not deploy and recorded a “non-target” photo of the dog Testing the Felixer with a canine model – the trap did not deploy and recorded a “non-target” photo of the dog
A feral cat takes a female Golden Shouldered Parrot from its nest A feral cat takes a female Golden Shouldered Parrot from its nest

Related stories

BLOG 12/11/2021

The devastating impact of rabbits

The Conversation recently published an article about the devastating impact that rabbits have had and continue to exert on Australia plants, wildlife and landscapes.

Read More
Feral cat.

06/07/2021

The challenge of cats

Sarah Legge (Professor at ANU and a Principal Research Fellow with The University of Queensland) discusses the urgent need for species protection from the impact of cats.

Read More

BLOG 31/05/2021

Tarcutta Hills rabbit survey

Volunteers Tom O'Hara and Georgie McManus recently complete a rabbit survey on our Tarcutta Hills Reserve, including the recently purchased neighbouring block.

Read More
A feral cat in the scrub. Photo Annette Ruzicka.

BUSHTRACKS 15/04/2021

The problem with cats

Feral cats kill an estimated 2 billion animals in Australia every year, but nuanced solutions on Bush Heritage reserves and partnership properties across Australia are helping to turn the tide.

Read More

BLOG 18/02/2021

Great Southern cat cull

An article in WA Today: "One of the nation’s biggest conservation groups has started working with the West Australian government’s fox baiting program in the south and levelled it up to target cats and rabbits too in an effort to restore native animals to their traditional domain."

Read More
Wildflowers on Monjebup Reserve. Photo Jessica Wyld Photography.

BUSHTRACKS 25/09/2020

From tin whistles to tinsel

As we prepare to start a first-of-its-kind feral control program in the Fitz-Stirling, Noongar Traditional Owner Aunty Carol Petterson reflects on the changes seen in her lifetime.

Read More

BLOG 16/08/2020

The problem with goats

Feral goats are a major threat to our rangeland vegetation throughout Australia, where they roam the countryside largely unmanaged.

Read More

BLOG 07/07/2020

Counting bunnies

European Rabbits have a high impact on our conservation targets at Bon Bon. They compete with native herbivores for resources, supress native vegetation and provide a reliable food source for foxes and cats.

Read More

BLOG 19/12/2019

Feral fish & fencing at Yourka

I have a personal interest in fish and wetlands. Yourka has beautiful Eastern Rainbowfish, Purple Spotted Gudgeons, and Spangled Perch throughout its waterways, as well as Flyspecked Hardyheads, Olive Perchlets,  Midgley's Carp Gudgeons, Sooty Granters, Hyrtl's Tandan and probably others in some locations.

Read More

BLOG 06/08/2019

Felixers: a tool to help save Alwal?

Olkola and Bush Heritage may have a new tool in our battle to protect the endangered Golden-shouldered Parrot (Alwal) from feral cats.

Read More

BLOG 01/05/2019

Cat tracking from the air

It's encouraging to see increasing recognition of the terrible toll feral cats are exacting on our native wildlife, and increasing concern to do something about it. Early Monday morning I headed out to Red Moort to get up in the air with feral cat researcher Sarah Comer and her Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions colleague, Abby, to locate the feral cats Sarah has collared across our Fitz-Stirling landscape on the South Coast of Western Australia.

Read More

BUSHTRACKS 22/03/2019

Battle for the bite sized

A landmark restoration project on Bon Bon is helping native species to bounce back.

Read More

BUSHTRACKS 22/03/2019

Feral focus

How we’re working beyond our boundaries to control foxes and feral cats in south-west Western Australia.

Read More

BLOG 22/01/2019

The invasive species war

A recent Guardian article highlighted how invasive species are the most significant threat to, and cause of, species decline and loss in Australia - and more destructive than climate change at present. It's a sobering assessment; and a sad reflection on the early attitude to our native species. Bush Heritage Australia, through its reserve and partnership network is at the battlefront of this war on feral plants and animals.

Read More

BLOG 14/12/2018

Feral cats caught on camera

We've been testing the use of burn lines as a way to draw cats towards our new Felixer cat traps at Ethabuka Reserve. The results so far are super encouraging.

Read More

BLOG 23/08/2018

Predators! Keep calm, just carrion

Have you ever stopped to think, how does the provision of resources in the landscape affect wildlife patterns in general? If you add a heap of additional unexpected food resources, what then happens to the array of carrion eaters and predators, and how does this affect other smaller animals?

Read More

BLOG 12/06/2018

That tricksy Felixy

It's well known that cats have a huge and often catastrophic impact on native species and are notoriously difficult to control. The Felixer cat trap might be the solution.

Read More

BLOG 27/06/2017

Volunteers help combat cats

Keith Gooley and Peter Caulder are Bush Heritage volunteers with expertise in electronics and a passion for conservation. Keith and Peter are using these skills to help us address one of the biggest threats to Australian wildlife on Boolcoomatta Reserve - feral cats.

Read More

BLOG 27/04/2017

Mapping cats at Boolcoomatta

Hi! I'm Emily and I'm a science intern here at Boolcoomatta Reserve in the arid rangelands of South Australia. My primary focus over the next two months is to collect data on the distribution of feral cats here.

Read More

BUSHTRACKS 20/03/2017

Feral instincts

From the saltbush plains of Boolcoomatta in South Australia, to the sandy dunes of Ethabuka in Queensland, our staff are working hard to implement science-based methods to combat feral cats.

Read More

BLOG 13/05/2016

A ripping yarn

Reducing rabbit habitat by ripping warrens has been the focus of our conservation work at Bon Bon Station Reserve over the past two months.

Read More

BLOG 11/06/2015

Carp trapping trial

The carp trapping program at Bush Heritage Australia's Scottsdale Reserve is moving into its next phase, with a small team of inventors on board to design a heating system for the trap. What? Sounds like we are really trying hard to make those pesky carp just a little too comfortable? Perfectly correct!

Read More

BUSHTRACKS 20/03/2015

New feral monitoring data

A new long-term monitoring program using remote infra-red cameras on both Boolcoomatta and our Bon Bon Reserve will help protect vulnerable natives such as the plains wanderer from feral foxes and cats.

Read More
Loading...
{{itemsInCart}} Items - {{formatCurrency(grandTotal)}}