Claws out over cat curb

A proposed bylaw limiting the number of cats per household has some pet owners accusing Whangarei District Council of pussy-footing around.
Cat owners told The Northern Advocate the bylaw wouldn't work and the council was bowing to pressure from vocal conservationists.
Meanwhile, groups such as Forest and Bird applaud the idea, saying cats inflict huge damage on wildlife.
One cat lover, who did not want to be named, said if the council wanted to control cat numbers it should put its resources into educating pet owners and encourage them to get their pets desexed.
"But that might depend on making spaying or neutering inexpensive, if not free. Why can't the council set up a docket system where the costs can be added to people's rates?"
The bylaw proposal has been sparked by complaints and submissions to the council about the effect of cats killing native birds and other wildlife. Some estimates hold that cats kill 35 percent of wildlife - especially native birds and lizards - across urban and conservation areas.
Whangarei district has an estimated 45,000 cats.
In the past, which box to put the puss-in-public-places problem in had the council scratching its head - and led to cats being parked in the Animals, Poultry and Bees bylaw's wandering-animals clause.
But while the new proposal signals a shift to cats and private property, it misses the target, critics say. It was unlikely to make people more responsible owners, cat owner Rachel Burnett said. "Imposing limits on the number of cats in households could lead to even more unwanted animals being dumped or mistreated," she said.
Ms Burnett, who has four cats, said most people ended up with several cats because they had taken in unwanted animals whereas the alternative would have seen them go feral.
Despite people's notions that their cuddly, furry little pets were not environmental terrorists, domestic cats were as big a problem as feral cats, said Bev Wood, secretary of Royal Forest and Bird, Whangarei.
All cats were natural-born killers responsible for destruction of native birds, lizards and other wildlife, Ms Woods said.
"Cats do more damage than any other predatory animal. I'd have to say Forest and Bird are passionate about the cat issue. The bylaw is a wonderful idea."
The council has previously rejected other cat control measures such as compulsory registration, sterilisation and curfews.
The idea of a curfew, mooted during bylaw discussions in previous years, provoked more amusement than concern from people familiar with cats' independent and nocturnal instincts.
The council is calling for submissions on the proposal by July 20.
The original intention of the bylaw was to limit cat numbers to three per household but, through a typographical error, the limit became two. The council itself is making a submission that the number be raised to three.
If the bylaw is passed in its current form, people will still be able to own more than two cats, but they will need permission from the council and their immediate neighbours. The same rule already applies to people who want to keep more than two dogs per property.
A handful of councils around the country already impose cat limits. In Kaipara, the limit - unless the owner has written permission from the council - is five cats older than three months on any property zoned residential, commercial or industrial.
The Hastings district limit is four, but the bylaw is enforced only if the cats are neglected or are a nuisance.