Trialling a new method to attract feral cats (Felis catus) in situ – the Mata Hari Judas queen.

Context: Feral cats are a significant threat to wildlife in Australia and globally. Current feral cat management techniques have limitations that can result in wary, remnant individuals persisting in the landscape and reducing overall pest control efficacy, thus there is a need for additional innovative management techniques. Aims: This research aimed to identify whether the Mata Hari Judas technique could be applied to female cats (queens) in situ as a means of attracting and assisting the capture of feral cats. Methods: Three queens were induced into prolonged oestrus and contained in enclosures (vennels) in situ with traps attached to capture attracted feral cats. Two vennel treatments were trialled, one housing a Mata Hari Judas queen (queen vennel) and another using auditory and olfactory lures from a Mata Hari Judas queen (faux queen vennel) to compare the attractiveness of the two treatments at three study sites. Camera traps and soil plots were used to monitor and compare cat activity surrounding the vennels prior to, during and after the presence of a Mata Hari Judas queen or her lures. Key results: Both vennel treatments attracted multiple feral cats of both sexes, and each trapped one male cat, demonstrating proof of concept for this technique. The queen vennel was significantly more attractive than the faux queen vennel, as demonstrated by higher frequency of cat detections and the duration of time feral cats spent at this vennel. Comparisons between monitoring periods and when the vennels were active showed significant differences in the frequency of cats attracted to the area, further supporting that both the queen and her lures were attractive to cats. Conclusions: This research is the first instance where Mata Hari Judas queens have been successfully used in situ to attract and capture feral cats. Future studies should aim to assess this technique in a controlled area with a known cat population to allow for a direct comparison of efficacy with more traditional feral cat management methods. Implications: With further refinement, the use of Mata Hari Judas queens in situ could provide an efficient technique for removing remnant cats. Feral cats are a significant threat to Australia's wildlife, and innovative management techniques are needed to capture remnant individuals that persist following traditional management actions. This study aimed to assess whether a female cat in prolonged oestrus could attract and help capture feral cats in situ. Proof of concept was achieved, and with further refinement, this technique could be significant for feral cat management. Photograph by Abby Dennien. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]