Roaming felines a catastrophe
Some days, Haley Bruning arrives home to find stray cats hiding inside her house.
Bruning has had a random feline hiss at her from behind her toilet, had to tend to one of her own cats losing part of its ear in a feral fight, and even had to replace a pane of glass after attempting to shoo a stray outside, accidently sending it straight through a window.
‘‘It’s horrible,’’ the New Plymouth woman said.
‘‘You don’t know what to do.’’
And Bruning appears to be one of hundreds who are in the same boat.
Whether they’re getting into people’s houses, soiling their vegetable gardens, or even just lurking in their back yard, roaming cats – both feral and loved – are annoying residents all over the place.
Some people have noticed cats steal their shoes and children’s toys, urinate and spray on toasters, in car vents and under balconies, poo in vegetable gardens and shoes, give birth to and keep kittens in compost bins, and walk over roofs while meowing all night.
They say cats have nine lives and they may just need them, because some people are taking matters into their own hands.
On some properties there’s sharp bamboo poking out of the ground, traps with vinegar-wielding humans about, high-pressure hoses and slug guns in hand, waiting on stray cats to fall victim.
In May, a smoochy Taranaki cat named Possum was shot with a slug gun.
The fluffy feline was left with a hole in the back of a foot, two broken toes and was set to be stuck in a cast for six weeks – but he was lucky.
North Taranaki SPCA’s spokesperson Jackie Poles Smith said she understands wandering cats can be frustrating, but said people just need to keep calm.
‘‘The cat’s not there to bother you,’’ Poles Smith said.
‘‘They’re just being a cat.’’
She there are humane and legal ways to deter roaming felines. Poles Smith recommended the use of a cold water pistol, or making noise to scare felines.
‘‘Anything that causes harm or distress to a cat is not okay,’’ Poles Smith said.
She said cat owners should also take on the responsibility of desexing their cats, and if they cause issues at night, keep them locked inside.
SPCA New Zealand said in a statement that residents can also keep cats off their properties by having other pets to hold their territory and putting fresh citrus peels or coffee grounds around, as cats may not like the smell.
New Plymouth police sergeant Bruce Irvine said they don’t have a lot of cases of inhumane treatment with stray cats, but he’s definitely seen some over the years.
‘‘Certainly injuring an animal or causing harm to an animal, just for the sake of hurting it, is an offence.’’