Concerns have been raised about the growing “feral cat problem” and their impact on wildlife and human health.

The felines are a “serious threat to Bermuda’s native biodiversity”, according to the Bermuda Audubon Society.

The group is now appealing to the public not to feed feral cats in parks and nature reserves to protect wildlife, and warn that feeding stations pose a “health hazard” to adults, children and domestic pets.

“Audubon has long been very concerned about the growing number of feral cats in Bermuda and has passed those concerns on to Government — ministers, the Parks Commission and the Department of Conservation Services — on several occasions,” said Karen Border, the Society’s secretary. “But no action was taken and the situation has continued to get worse.

“Feral cats are a serious threat to Bermuda’s native biodiversity, especially birds — Audubon receives many reports of bluebirds killed by cats — and our critically endangered endemic skink.

“Cats hunt and kill lizards, so the skink is just as vulnerable.

“The only places skink populations now survive in Bermuda are on small cat-free islands or areas where there is no cat population, such as the central part of Spittal Pond Nature Reserve.

“Feeding stations only permit a higher cat density in the wild, while also attracting and feeding other unwanted pests like rats and feral chickens.

“Feeding stations present a serious threat to human health as they encourage rat proliferation — many people have commented on the number of rats around these days.”

Many feeding stations are run by the Bermuda Feline Assistance Bureau (BFAB), a charity that launched in 1992 that aims to control the stray cat population through its humane trap-test-spay/neuter-release scheme.

“BFAB’s trap, neuter and release programme has not worked — the feral cat population has increased dramatically since that time,” Ms Border said. “It fails to take into account the presence of free-roaming domestic cats which have not been neutered by their owners and the all too common practice of abandoning un-neutered pets into the wild.

“The fecundity of cats is such that if only five percent of a population is not neutered that five percent can easily replace losses from natural attrition.

“There has also been a proliferation of non-BFAB cat feeding stations as the feral cat population has increased — it is a self-sustaining upward spiral.”

Ms Border said the Society had proposed cat licensing legislation — initially drafted in 2003 — that covered mandatory neutering and breeding and a limit on the numbers owned.

“This worked to end the feral dog problem back in the 1970s, along with trapping for adoption or euthanasia,” she said. “Audubon, BFAB and the SPCA were all in agreement on this proposal the last time there was a round-table discussion on the issue.”

The Society also supports a cut-off date for the removal of all cats and feeding stations on public land, and a ban on feeding feral animals.

Ms Border insisted the Society was “not anti-cat” and that many of their members were cat owners.

“We do not oppose the responsible ownership of domestic cats,” she said. “However, the presence of thousands of feral cats in Bermuda is a major threat to our native biodiversity and the situation cannot be allowed to continue.”

The Department of Conservation Services and Department of Parks have received “numerous complaints” about the “aggressive nature of cats” in parks.

Conservation Services said there were no approved feeding stations at the Island’s nature reserves but members of the public had been feeding feral cats on the edges of these protected areas, notably at Cooper’s Island and Spittal Pond — and warned that allowing animals into those areas was an offence.

“Acting on instruction of the National Parks Commission, the Department of Conservation Services and the Department of Parks are looking at ways to work with stakeholders to reduce the impact of feral cats, which include strategic relocation and better enforcement,” the spokeswoman said.

The Ministry of Health, Seniors and Environment said it was “mindful of the sensitivity of this issue” and was developing, in consultation with stakeholders, an invasive species management strategy to manage feral animals and invasive plants.

No one from BFAB could be reached for comment. But the charity’s brochure says it has “significantly reduced” the number of cats born and living in the wild, and estimates that 12,000 additional cats would be born each year without its efforts.

The charity believes “a large percentage of the public are happy to have some cats around to control rats”, according to its website.

The site also states that problems with feral cats are often “a result of anti-social or unhelpful behaviour on the part of humans”.

If you have an unwanted pet call BFAB on 291-1737 or the SPCA on 236-7333.

Should you observe anyone feeding cats or other feral animals in a nature reserve e-mail conservation@gov.bm or call 293-2727.