170: What If We’re Wrong About Pet Cats and Wildlife? (And Why It Matters For Vets). With Professor Jacquie Rand

A frightened cat in a cage. A vet who has to decide if it lives or dies, because the shelter is full, and a new batch of cats will be arriving on Monday. These are familiar situations for many vet teams - so much so that it can feel like just an unfortunate reality of veterinary work.

But what if we’re thinking about it all wrong?

 If you don't understand the underlying cause of the problem, you’ll choose the wrong solution.

Professor Jacquie Rand is a veterinarian, emeritus professor at the University of Queensland, and founder and chief scientist of the Australian Pet Welfare Foundation. Her work asks how we can stop healthy, treatable animals being killed, while protecting the wellbeing of the people who care for them.

In this conversation, we question some assumptions about cats, wildlife and responsible pet ownership. Jacquie explains why labels like “feral” matter, challenges the evidence behind widely repeated wildlife claims, and shares results from community desexing programs that offer a different, more hopeful approach to managing stray cats.

We also tackle the uncomfortable question of who gets to have a pet, and who should pay when veterinary care is out of reach. From the emotional cost of killing healthy animals to the proposed VetiCare funding model, we consider how care could work for the community we actually have.

I came away questioning some firmly held beliefs, and feeling more hopeful about problems I’d put in the too-hard basket. I think you will too.

Jacquie’s work and resources

• Australian Pet Welfare Foundation — research, advocacy and ways to support the work.
• Community Cat Programs — how the programs work, results and presentations.
• APWF research library — papers on animal management, welfare and access to care.

Further reading

• Rosewood Community Cat Program outcomes — Rand and colleagues, 2024: the study of targeted desexing and changes in shelter intake, euthanasia and council complaints.
• Bella and Charlie Are Not the Problem—It’s Us: The Real Causes of Wildlife Rescue in NSW — Dutton-Regester, Rand and Liang, 2026: the wildlife rescue research discussed in the episode.
• The impact of lethal cat management on human wellbeing — Scotney and colleagues, 2023: carers’ experiences following the Port of Newcastle cat cull.

Learn, travel and stay connected

Combine veterinary learning with an adventure through Vets on Tour: Italy and the Dolomites, January 2027, or Africa, April 2027.

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