Cats in New Zealand

In addition to the Act and the national Code of Welfare, many (but not all) local councils have bylaws pertaining to cats.

[8]: 159–174  In 2020, the Selwyn District Council removed requirements for micro-chipping of cats from a planned new animal control bylaw, because the absence of national legislation meant that the council lacked the ability to issue fines or to obtain revenue from compuslory registration that might fund enforcement action.

[8] The NCMSG report recommended categorisations for use in frameworks for improving the management of cats: Apart from two species of bats, New Zealand did not have any land-based mammals until settlement by the Māori and by European people.

The introduction of cats on to Mangere, Herekopare and Raoul Islands caused localised extinctions of bird species.

Feral cats are the principal threat to the critically endangered black stilt[13] and as of February 2010[update] only 85 birds remain, largely in the Mackenzie Basin.

A trapping programme for cats and other predators that threatened the black stilt population was instigated by the Department of Conservation.

[14] The impact of feral cats on species other than birds is not as well documented[13] although in 2010 the Department of Conservation discovered that a feral cat was responsible for killing over 100 endangered New Zealand short-tailed bats over a seven-day period in a forested area on the southern slope of Mount Ruapehu.

Since the 1990s, cat-free subdivisions have occasionally been established to prevent predation occurring within nearby natural areas by domestic cats.

In 1996 a cat-free subdivision was established at Waihi Beach, a landmark decision by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council.

[22] Even though cats control rodents which also prey on native wildlife and thus have a protective role, the precautionary principle is recommended in certain cases such as adjacent to natural areas and in outer suburbs of cities.

Felids such as domestic and feral cats are the only known definitive hosts in which the parasite may undergo sexual reproduction.

Several species of kiwi from wild populations have been found to be infected, with consequences that may lead to the death of the bird.

It is a large, fierce and practically invincible cat, based on one that belonged to Murray Ball, the creator of the cartoon series.

[32] There have been several unverified panther sightings in Mid-Canterbury near Ashburton and in the nearby foothills of the Southern Alps,[33][34][35] but searches conducted there in 2003 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry found no corroborating physical evidence.