Mandatory desexing of cats a step closer

Cats cause problems for native species and rescue groups faced a relentless battle against the effects of irresponsible owners. File photo/Stuff.

A move to mandate the registration and desexing of cats has taken a major leap forward, with a select committee calling for legislation to be put in place.

The environment committee made its recommendation to the Government in August after considering a petition presented by Erica Rowlands in 2021.

Erica says cats cause a problem for native species, and rescue groups face a relentless battle against the effects of irresponsible owners.

“We have committed as a nation to invest in the goal of being predator free by 2050, but with no improvement in sight for the management of pet cats, or the elimination of feral populations,” her petition says.

“Requiring cats to be registered and desexed will reduce their populations, enforce responsible cat ownership, and protect our wildlife.”

The committee heard numerous submissions, including one from the Ministry for Primary Industries, which has discussed the issue with officials from Tasmania, where mandatory microchipping and desexing of cats had been implemented under the Cat Management Act 2009.

The ministry says Tasmanian officials have emphasised that the success relied on resourcing and ongoing funding to enforce the provisions of the legislation over time. In Tasmania, the government provided partial funding, and required that the cost of desexing or microchipping of found cats was recovered from the owner

The committee also heard that cat management was inconsistent nationally, as regional bylaws vary, and some regions had no bylaws addressing the issue.

The Veterinarians Association for Animal Welfare Aotearoa told the committee that the regime should be self-funding, and while it supports the overall goal of cat control legislation, it doesn’t think the proposed framework goes far enough.

It says regulating domestic cats only will not be enough to achieve the goals of Predator Free 2050, and the overall cat population will still increase under the proposed framework.

The committee says it accepts that pet cats provide companionship to people, but “we accept the evidence presented by submitters that the current, largely unregulated approach to cats does not serve the welfare of the large numbers of stray and feral cats. Moreover, the stray and feral cat population decimates native wildlife”.

The committee agrees that it's time to legislate a nationwide cat management framework based on the notion cats should be registered, desexed, and microchipped with appropriate exemptions.

“Such a framework already exists for dogs, and we believe it is time to apply the same approach for cats,” it says.

“We consider that a nationally consistent approach to cat control would provide a more effective outcome than bylaws.

“Public education and gaining community support for change will need to go hand in hand with legislative and regulatory action, but we note the significant and positive change in public attitudes to dog ownership since the enactment of the Dog Control Act in 1996,” it says.

Not to be confused with your friendly neighbourhood kitty, feral cats live and breed in the wild, hunting for survival and killing native birds in the process.

The Government is due to respond to the recommendation by October 25.

Predator Free Zealand Trust chief executive Jessi Morgan is thrilled with the recommendation, saying it marks “a milestone in the journey towards better cat management in New Zealand, reducing the number of unwanted cats and creating a safer environment for our native wildlife and pets”.

“A unified approach to cat management is good for native wildlife and animal welfare. By legislating the microchipping, desexing and registering of cats, we can begin to address the issue of unwanted pets being dumped,” says Jessi.

The SPCA welcomes the committee’s recommendation, with its scientific officer Dr Christine Sumner saying the government needs to introduce a nationwide cat management framework “with urgency”.

-Marty Sharpe/Stuff.

2 comments

Smart

Posted on 07-08-2023 16:46 | By rogue

Gee, I imagine this will work.
It will work as well as the current dog registration laws that are ignored by a large chunk of society.
It will work as well as Sue Bradfords anti-smacking law... which has probably done more harm than good.
It work as well as the Govt by back scheme of firearms... which judging by crime stats has been a joke.
The only people who will do this, are probably not the people in society this law will be aimed at.


Dogs Too?

Posted on 08-08-2023 06:49 | By Thats Nice

I've just read an article this morning that dogs have been killing kiwi in the north.


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