North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Cat curfews, compulsory microchipping on cards
Curfews and mandatory microchipping are on the table as part of a major national cat control campaign to address the impact the pets have on New Zealand’s environment.
The National Cat Management Strategy, released last week, has been a work in progress for nearly two years by groups including the New Zealand Veterinary Association, SPCA, Department of Conservation and the Morgan Foundation.
The groups hope it will become the basis of government policy for controlling cats.
The strategy, released two months after the Government set its predator-free 2050 goal, calls for the nationwide mandatory microchipping and desexing of domestic cats when they are transferred between owners.
It also proposes ways to manage stray cats, raising the possibility of cat curfews in areas of ecological sensitivity and the creation of a stray cat registry.
A National Cat Management Act was also mooted, which would allow for bylaws allowing cats to be managed through mechanisms such as curfews, an infringement system for nuisance cats and setting a limit on the number of cats per household. Its goal is for New Zealand to have no stray or feral cats.
Green Party animal welfare spokeswoman Mojo Mathers said the party supported the strategy because it affirmed cats as ‘‘much-loved’’ companion animals and promoted responsible pet ownership.
‘‘We need better animal welfare for cats and to manage their wider impact,’’ she said.
Steps including education, microchipping and de-sexing cats, and empowering councils to set their own rules were ‘‘long overdue’’.
Behaviours considered a nuisance by the public included fighting and unwanted stray cats on private property.
Preying on wildlife was another behaviour causing ‘‘considerable community concern’’.
The strategy stated the presence of cats impacted agriculture through the transmission of disease to grazing animals.
Landcare Research wildlife ecologist John Innes called the strategy a ‘‘very welcome and significant advance’’.
Extending micro-chipping was positive because managers needed to be able to clearly separate loved animals from feral and stray cats, he said.