News and Views
8th November 2022
Pussy cat pussy cat where have you been?
There continues to be a lot of hand wringing about the vexed issue of the impact of cats on our wildlife.
There are two different problems, which require different solutions. Feral / stray cats – cats with no home – are rampant in our forests, and with no one looking after them, lead miserable desperate lives hunting for food and shelter. Domestic cats have loving homes and are usually well fed and much loved.
I would venture to suggest that it is feral / stray cats that have caused most havoc with wildlife in remote areas. Wildlife on Hauturu – Little Barrier Island – flourished once cats were eliminated in 1980; the cat problem there was documented in the 1880’s as a significant threat to many of our unique bird species. Elimination of cats with no home is the solution, if it were possible.
It is more problematic in areas where native species live in close proximity to people and their pets. For many communities, it seems the conversation starts with a screaming match, with both sides, cats vs wildlife, taking extreme positions and not listening to each other.
A case in point is the recent video footage of a cat removing eggs from a dotterel nest, and I have subsequently been informed, other nests nearby. Documented evidence of the threat cats pose to these endangered birds. We have taken over the natural coastal habitat of many shorebird species, which require easy access to the ocean for food. We also like easy access to the ocean. Is it possible we can share the space? This community is already divided against itself, with tragic consequences for the birds. Cats are strangely disappearing without trace. People have been assaulted. Monitoring cameras are stolen. The birds are paying the price.
Once the screaming, both literally and on social media, and in some cases actual physical violence has played itself out, it should be possible to address the issue in a more rational manner.
Passionate birders want to protect the birds. Passionate cat owners want to keep their cats. It is possible to do both. Education is the solution to many disputes – understanding the other point of view.
There are several easy things cat owners can do to keep their cat safe and protect our wildlife. Keep your cat inside at night. Make sure it has a collar and a bell. Make sure it is neutered (the intersection of domestic cats and feral cats is the dumping of unwanted kittens and cats). Feed it a high protein diet – it will hunt less. Don’t leave your cat alone for long periods of time. These five simple steps will make a significant difference to the survival of wildlife. Without the need for any legislation, which will take years, or vigilante cat elimination, which is cruel and illegal.
As the law stands right now, there is very little that can be done in residential areas where there are pet cats. The onus should be placed firmly on the shoulders of the cat owner. It is their responsibility to look after their cat and keep it safe. Once a community takes on that message, and all domestic cats are safely locked inside at night, it opens up a space in which stray and feral cats can be removed without any risk to anyone’s loved pet.
Those who don’t like killing any animal must realise, surely, that we have a clear choice – we can eliminate the predators that don’t belong in New Zealand, or we can let them eliminate our unique wildlife that does belong here. The list of key predators is quite short really – mustelids, rats, cats, possums. The list of extinct native birds is quite long by comparison – currently (birdsonline) 55 species.
The fairy tern is tettering on the brink of joining this list. The much loved kakapo is a few steps further back from the brink than it was. Others, such as the takahe and the Northern NZ dotterel, have also stepped back from joining the extinct list. All of these species have required intensive conservation efforts just to keep them literally holding on for dear life.
There are other threats to our wildlife that we cannot influence anywhere near as easily as keeping a cat inside at night and the other steps listed above. It is a simple thing to do even if you don’t personally care about the birds.
Think about your community and the quality of the environment you want to live in. Surely keeping the neighbours happy is incentive enough? That means respecting the values of those that have pet cats, and for cat owners to do everything they can to make sure their pet cat is not harming wildlife.
“Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?
I’ve been up to London to look at the queen.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under her chair.”
If only it were that innocent.
8th November 2022
Our 3rd cat arrived by email today.
Gorgeous!
Completing the current family of cats available to choose from for your local cat owners education project.