09/06/2026
Now Feral Cats are officially considered a pest in New Zealand I 1000% agree with this. I couldn't have said it better myself 👏👏
Whilst I'm dealing with the fallout of one of our adopted cats who was shot and killed in the residential area of Crofton Downs, we can unfortunately now expect the sh*t storm to roll in over this. 🤦♀️ Local Councils - you're welcome to hire me to do the job properly!
Upper Hutt City Council • Porirua City Council • Wellington City Council • Hutt City Council
Feral cats have been added to the Predator Free 2050 list.
Predator free 2050 is a movement headed by the Predator Free NZ Trust - a government funded organisation also managed by DOC. Their aim is to eliminate predator populations to allow our native flora and fauna to flourish unhindered.
This is a highly emotive topic, and one full of misinformation. Fur Paws Sake would like to state our stance, some of which may surprise followers - but please, strap in and keep reading.
Feral cats are destructive predators who have no business being in ecologically sensitive areas of Aotearoa. They are not fed by humans and have no contact with them. They hunt for their food. Humans have created this feral cat issue, and these innocent creatures now pay the price. Fur Paws Sake supports the humane capture, assessment and if needed, humane dispatch of feral cats. This is sad but necessary in order to secure the future of our precious native fauna. There are extremely few resources and skilled people to tame feral cats or provide them with understanding homes.
HOWEVER, Fur Paws Sake has serious doubts that management of feral cats will be done in a humane and just manner.
Specifically we worry that:
- those involved with pest and predator management are not understanding or wilfully ignoring the difference between stray and feral cats.
- Dumped tame cats will be caught up in feral cat dispatch.
- There is a lack of facilities and skilled people to undertake important assessment of trapped assumed feral cats.
- Any person will be empowered to carry out feral cat management in inhumane and improper ways.
- The oversight on processes around feral cat management is unfunded, uninformed and left for any group to move forward with.
- Cohorts and populations of Tamariki and Rangatahi will be influenced by generalised anti-cat rhetoric with no nuance.
Most importantly our biggest worry is…..
There is no mandatory desex, chipping and registration law and support.
The government is supporting the inclusion of feral cats on the predator list despite Andrew Hoggard the minister for agriculture (encompassing animal welfare) telling the animal welfare working groups who advise him to stop recommending mandatory desex for companion animals. In addition, the environment select committee working towards a mandatory desex bill had their proposal turned down in 2024. It has been recommended that councils enact their own bylaws around cat welfare using their limited funding and limited abilities to physically and legally manage these bylaws. We all know how well funded and staffed the dog management team at Auckland Council is!
What we would like to see is:
- Trained professionals managing assessed feral cat populations humanely.
- Informed assessments of assumed feral cats.
- Guaranteed humane dispatch of feral cats if needed.
- Funding and support for ethical rescue groups to take in stray/dumped cats and ferals if wished.
- Use of the ‘4 million feral cat’ statistic halted. There would be 0 fauna if this statistic was true.
- Proper education for all on the difference between feral/stray/owner and animal welfare in general. Feral cats have 0 human contact and rely on hunting for food. They live away from humans in unpopulated environments. Strays rely on humans for food, live in urban or residential areas and may be tame or untame depending on their origins.
- Mandatory desex, chipping and rego nationwide, supported with ongoing funding and immigration change to bring skilled veterinarians to NZ to assist.
- Real consequences for those who refuse help and support to desex, chip, register and surrender cats and kittens they cannot care for.
- Informed and thoughtful language used around feral cat management that does not demonise or encourage ill will towards cats.
- Accessible education about animal welfare rolled out to schools, churches and migrant support agencies that promotes desex, chipping and registration.
If you have made it this far, well done.
If you’re not happy with or stance the unfollow option is at the top of our page. We won’t be unrealistic about our beloved cats but we will not demonise them.
And finally: None of this would be happening if people would just….. desex their fu***ng pets!
