Pesky cats ending up on Australian plates

ADELAIDE, Australia, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Feral cats plaguing the Australian town of Alice Springs have found a new place in the lives of local residents: on their dinner plates.

The BBC said Sunday that with millions of smaller animals becoming part of the feral cats' daily menu, one Alice Springs resident apparently took a lesson from them and created a wild cat casserole for a recent contest.

The woman who created the unusual dish for the cuisine contest said she was simply doing her part to rid the area of a feral pest.

Yet while her dish was the most shocking entry in the contest, one judge was forced to spit it out when she found it too tough to chew.

Wildlife campaigners also found the feline cuisine to be in bad taste as well, criticizing the use of the animals for food.

Several scientists weighed in, as well, saying eating feral cats could potentially expose consumers to harmful bacteria and toxins, the BBC reported.