Villagers angry at move to ban ‘bird-killer’ cats

A VILLAGE in New Zealand has announced plans to ban cats, drawing a furious response from cat owners.

The measure was unveiled by officials in Omaui, a small community on the tip of the country’s South Island, 300 miles south west of Christchurch, as a way to protect the area’s native bird life.

Under its pest management plan, which was opened for consultation on

‘They shouldn’t be allowed to roam outside – it’s a really obvious solution’

Tuesday, residents would be required to spay or neuter, microchip and register their cats – and they would not be allowed to replace them after the pets had died.

“They’re preying on native birds, they’re taking insects, they’re taking reptiles – all sorts of things,” Ali Meade, a biosecurity operations manager, said. “They’re doing quite a bit of damage.”

John Collins, of Omaui Landcare Trust, denied they were “cat haters”. He said: “We’d like to see responsible pet ownership and this really isn’t the place for cats.”

However, some residents were outraged. “You’re just told one day that your cats, your treasured little possessions … really, that’s it,” said Terry Dean.

Nico Jarvis said the news had come as “an absolute shock”. She said owning three cats was the only way to tackle the area’s “intense” rodent problem.

“It doesn’t matter how many [rodents] I trap and poison, more just keep coming in from the bush,” she told the Otago Daily Times. “They chew into your house, you can’t get rid of them. If I cannot have a cat, it almost becomes unhealthy for me to live in my house,’’ she said.

Cats, ranked among the 100 most invasive non-native species in the world, have long been viewed as a potential danger to eco systems.

Dr Peter Marra, the head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre, said cats “make wonderful pets”.

He told the BBC: “But they shouldn’t be allowed to roam outside – it’s a really obvious solution.

“We would never let dogs do that. It’s about time we treated cats like dogs.”