As we said earlier, cat management is still very much an open book. It may be some years before the framework of municipal cat management takes on any semblance of a best practice format.

The next few years will be an interesting interval of trial and error during which progressive state and local authorities will watch, listen, evaluate and experiment with different measures. In this chapter we review some of the pioneering work already underway. One of the first decisions in each of these cases was to choose steady, long-term management of problem cats over more intense, short-term measures.

Experience has shown that eradication of cats is not a practical option. But with good management, cat problems can be eradicated while the pet cats can stay. We have recently seen a number of serious attempts to manage urban cats in this way. Four different experiments have been:

• Sherbrooke approach to cat management
• Victorian legislative approach
• South Australian legislative approach
• Magnetic Island approach