The federal government aims to wipe out two million feral cats, about a third of the population, by providing community groups with with $5 million. 

The government aims to save 124 species of native wildlife pushed to extinction by feral cats. 

PAWS cat co-ordinator Penny Stemp said as long as the cull was conducted humanely she would support it. 

She said pet owners need to take responsibility for desexing their pets to keep the feral population low. 

“It’s going to continue to be a problem if people don’t desex their pets,” she said,

“Or if people think dropping unwanted litters into the bush is a good alternative to manning up and getting the pets euthanised or hopefully adopted.”

Ms Stemp said feral cats affected native wildlife and were common in the Wimmera. 

She said desexing pets was one way to minimise the problem. 

“It’s hugely important,” she said.

“If people would desex their cats there’d probably be a lot less and feral cats wouldn’t be breeding with domestic cats which definitely happens. 

“A lot of people think getting a male cat, not desexed, solves the problem because then any litters aren’t in front of them – it’s not their problem as their cat isn’t having kittens.”

Ms Stemp said even domesticated cats could have a huge impact on wildlife.

“I’m a big advocate of indoor-only cats,” she said.

“Any cat has an impact on wildlife, feral and domestic. It’s a big problem.”

Threatened Species Commissioner Gregory Andrews said the cull, which goes until 2020, did not target domestic cats, nor was driven by bloodlust.

"They are the single biggest threat to our native animals, and have already directly driven out of extinction 20 out of 30 mammals lost," he said.

"We are not culling cats for the sake of it, we are not doing so because we hate cats.

"We have got to make choices to save animals that we love, and who define us as a nation like the bilby, the warru (Black-footed rock-wallaby) and the night parrot."

The Minister for the Environment and Energy Josh Frydenberg is expected to announce in March the first round of grants to encourage communities to trap and humanely euthanise feral cats. Mr Andrews has called on every mayor around Australia to provide free euthanasia of trapped feral cats.

Each feral cat kills up to 1000 native animals a year, ranging from crickets to lizards and small mammals.