However, she said, the woman became frustrated and told the man she could not stop them. The man then allegedly threatened to shoot the cats with an airgun if they appeared on his property and police were called.
The spokeswoman said the man received a formal police warning for speaking threateningly.
Cats, or rather attacks on them, have been in the news in Northland recently after reports of a suspected cat killer in Russell.
Earlier this month two Russell cats were found with air gun pellet injuries and five others were reported missing, sparking fears of a cat killer on the loose.
However, two of the missing cats have since been found alive after falling into a gap between water tanks and police are still looking for whoever shot the Russell cats.
In March, cats in the Maunu area were targeted by somebody with an airgun, while cats in Onerahi were shot in February.