Understanding Feral Cats: Natural predators of cats in New Zealand.

Natural Predators of Cats and Kittens

While adult feral cats are often described as "apex predators," they are themselves prey to larger animals and aggressive competitors: 

• Wild Dogs: Even small dogs, like terriers, can injure or kill cats. In some ecosystems, wild dogs, or dingoes, act as top predators that suppress cat populations through direct predation.

  
  

• Ferrets and Stoats: Large mustelids like ferrets are fierce competitors. While they typically target smaller prey, they are known to kill and eat kittens and can be dangerous to adult cats in territorial disputes.

  
  

• Birds of Prey:

  
  

  • New Zealand Falcon (Kārearea): An exceptionally aggressive predator known to swoop and hit intruders near its nest. Observations have noted falcons mock-attacking or harassing cats.

    
    

  • Australasian Harrier (Kāhu): While primarily scavengers or hunters of smaller prey, they have the talon strength to kill young or small cats if the opportunity arises.

    
    

  • Morepork (Ruru): These native owls are capable hunters that take small birds and mice, posing a direct threat to very young kittens left unattended. 

    
    

2. Threats from Native Birds

Some native birds are far from helpless victims and will actively defend themselves or their territory: 

• Kea: These intelligent, meat-eating parrots have been recorded dismembering stoats and are capable of attacking live sheep. Their powerful beaks and social aggression make them a formidable threat to any small predator, including kittens.

  
  

• Kākā: Like the kea, they have strong beaks and claws that can cause serious damage to a cat if it gets too close to a nest or if the bird is acting in self-defence. 

  
  

3. Origins of the "No Natural Enemies" Claim

The statement from Predator Free 2050 (PF2050)—that feral cats can grow up to 7 kg and have no natural enemies—is used to justify their addition to the official eradication list in late 2025. This narrative focuses on the cat's role as an "invasive apex predator" to emphasise its impact on native species like the kākāpō and Southern dotterel, often downplaying the environmental resistance they face from other established predators and territorial native wildlife.