The domestic cat arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788, introduced as a familiar companion and a practical way to control rodents. Within decades, many had escaped or been abandoned, gradually establishing wild populations far beyond early settlements. By the late nineteenth century, they had spread across almost the entire continent, adapting to landscapes ranging from humid forests and mountain ranges to some of the driest deserts on Earth. More than two centuries after their arrival, feral cats have become one of the country's most persistent environmental challenges. Their success lies not in their numbers alone, but in their ability to survive almost anywhere while hunting an extraordinary range of native wildlife that evolved without such an efficient predator.
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