Council drops curfew on cats plan

"I think microchipping cats is a very sensible way to keep domestic cats safe by being able to easily identify them from feral cats ..." Conservation Minister Maggie Barry

Wellington City Council has decided not to include a cat curfew in its new animal bylaw, but one councillor is still pushing to make microchipping moggies mandatory.

In May, city councillors voted to toughen up the proposed animal bylaw, suggesting compulsory microchipping, limiting the number of cats people could own, and putting a curfew on when cats could roam free.

But environment committee chairwoman Iona Pannett said yesterday that the curfew idea had been ditched, after public consultation.

The bylaw would make it mandatory to identify a cat with a collar or a microchip, but stops short of making microchipping compulsory.

However, Pannett is planning to move an amendment at next week’s environment committee meeting that it be made compulsory.

She was backed by campaigner Gareth Morgan, who said microchipping was ‘‘the important one’’ when it came to controlling cats.

‘‘I think the council’s going to try and do everything within its legal power so far as cats are concerned,’’ Morgan said. ‘‘They can only do so much.’’

He believed the city council did not have the power to enforce a curfew, but said the regional council could label wandering cats as pests, allowing it to do ‘‘all sorts of things’’.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said she thought microchipping cats was ‘‘sensible’’, though the Government’s predator-free plans did not include a national cat management control programme.

The plan was focused on the ‘‘big three’’ of stoats, possums and rats, because they caused the greatest devastation to native wildlife, she said.

‘‘Personally, I think microchipping cats is a very sensible way to keep domestic cats safe by being able to easily identify them from feral cats if they go missing.’’

Pannett agreed that a curfew would be impossible to enforce.

‘‘We don’t think the public is perhaps ready to go there. There is contrary feedback about whether it’s good or not.’’

However, there was wide support for microchipping, she said. ’’Eighty-two per cent of cat owners agreed with compulsory microchipping.

‘‘We might have expected some kickback on that ... we can say Wellington is behind this move.’’

She said the cost was minimal, at about $30 plus the vet fee.

The council has also backed down on the idea of making people ask for permission if they wanted to have more than three cats.

The proposed bylaw, which will be debated next week, still includes a ban on feeding animals in public areas, unless in a specific place. For example, ducks at a duck pond could still be fed.

Roosters would be banned in urban areas, unless people could get a special exemption to keep them.

There are also some changes in store for dogs and their owners. Dogs can already be walked through the city centre, but they are not allowed to stop anywhere. That could change to allow dogs in the city centre as long as they are not left alone.