Forest & Bird has called for the government to introduce a national Cat Management Act, with the mandated registration and desexing of pet cats to protect wildlife throughout the country.

There are an estimated 1,134,000 pet cats and 196,000 strays in New Zealand. There is no data on feral cats, but it is thought they number in the millions.

Poorly managed pet cats are creating huge populations of stray and feral cats that are devastating local populations of endemic birds, lizards, and insects. They are also having an effect on marine life, with a parasitic disease which reproduces in cats and is a significant threat to dolphins.

Ideally, the Act would include compulsory desexing, mandatory microchipping, and a three-cat limit per household.

Read more here: https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/time-talk-about-cats

Image: Sourced by Forest & Bird – remains of a kererū in the stomach of a feral cat