Newstalk ZB
Strict new rules for cat owners are set to be implemented in the top of the South Island from as early as next week. From Monday, a Tasman District Council bylaw will come into effect, requiring owners of domestic cats over the age of six months to microchip, desex and register them with the New Zealand Companion Animal Register. Tasman District Council said the reason behind the bylaw was to “encourage responsible pet ownership”. “Our focus is education over enforcement to ensure that domestic cats are well cared for, can be easily reunited with their families if they get lost, and their population is managed humanely and effectively,” it said in a social media post. “We want to ensure all cat owners meet the required standards by providing clear expectations and consistent support across the community.” It noted that veterinarians would “continue to provide care without judgment”, so the public could still bring their pets in for care when needed. It also said the bylaw might help to differentiate feral and stray cats from companion cats. However, it would not have any powers relating to pest cats. “Unlike domestic cats, management of pest cats is covered separately under the Tasman Nelson Regional Pest Management Plan, which applies only to pest cats and excludes residential areas,” the council said. “It has specific site-led rules for feral cats in high-value biodiversity areas of Abel Tasman National Park, Waimea Inlet, and St Arnaud. “In rural areas with low risk of capturing domestic pets, biosecurity staff can provide advice and, if deemed necessary, may loan live capture traps to landowners.” Neither the bylaw nor the Regional Pest Management Plan provide new powers for community-led feral cat management. “This includes individuals or groups taking cat management into their own hands. Owned cats are legally considered property, and harming them is unlawful.” It comes after Whanganui District Council was asked to introduce a “cat curfew” to protect native wildlife. A submission on the council’s Keeping of Animals, Poultry and Bees Bylaw from Whanganui resident Bill Simmons said domestic cats should be indoors from sunset until daylight. That was when they were “most actively hunting, and wildlife is most vulnerable”. The submission said introducing the rule would benefit the kaitiakitanga (protection) of taonga species and alleviate health concerns around transmissible diseases from cat contact and faeces. Simmons is a former operations manager at the Department of Conservation (DoC), former marketing executive at pest management company Orillion and an independent pest management consultant.
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