In the dead of night, a feral tabby cat sniffs curiously at a gate before cautiously stepping towards the opening.

But her luck has run out: the trap springs shut over the cat, whose belly looks full of prey – or kittens. The hunter has become the hunted.

Every year in Australia feral cats kill an estimated more than 3 billion animals; more than 200 of which are threatened species.

This device in Naree, north-west of Bourke in NSW, is just one of seven smart traps around the country that could help tip the balance against feral cats.

There’s more than one way to catch a cat: traditional methods include leg traps, cage traps, and the more controversial 1080 poison bait, which can be delivered in bait stations or through targeted devices called Felixers that spray poison directly onto

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