Neighbours at war over cat's death

Peter Beadle. Photo / Supplied

Fur is flying between two neighbours after a $1000 pet cat was shot dead.

Former property developer Ross Allan, from the settlement of Speargrass Flat near Queenstown, says his four children are distraught because their beloved Abyssinian moggy Fred was killed by landscape artist Peter Beadle.

Beadle, who lives near the Allans, says he only intended to frighten the animal with his .22 rifle because he believed it was stalking his prized pekin ducks.

The distinctive-looking pedigree cat - less than a year old - died on September 2, the day after Beadle shot it.

Mr Allan says he's fuming that Queenstown police won't take any action.

Beadle - in his late 70s - says he mistakenly thought it was a feral cat worrying his ducks.

Mr Allan has now approached Otago SPCA. "I'm mighty disappointed with the reaction from the police because essentially that says it's fair game to shoot your neighbour's animal if it's disturbing you," he said.

"I believe this is more than just an animal welfare issue" - and that in his opinion "there's a firearms issue here".

Beadle admits shooting the pet cat but calls it a dreadful misunderstanding.

"We've had a lot of trouble from feral cats as they take or damage the ducks," he said.

"I thought the cat was a rabbit at first but it was slowly advancing on the edge of our pond and I thought, 'Hell, that's a feral and it's stalking the pekin ducks'.

"I thought, 'I'll put a shot over its head and give it a fright'," Beadle said. "I didn't know at the time that I'd hit the cat because after I fired, it ran off through the willows."

Beadle says he may now scrap an offer he's made to pay for emergency treatment the cat received at Remarkable Vets, near Arrowtown.

The cat was taken to the vet after it had staggered home, shot in the stomach.

"We've heard that Ross is kicking up merry hell with the police, demanding something be done," Beadle said.

"We've told the vet we'll pay the account but if this thing goes on I'm going to ring the vet and ... withdraw that offer."

Sergeant Linda Stevens confirmed that Queenstown police investigated the incident but were satisfied that no offence had been committed.

"The cat was on [Beadle's] property at the time and stalking ducklings - a feral cat issue. It wasn't known to be a domestic cat," Ms Stevens said.

Otago SPCA chief inspector Virginia Pine said Mr Allan had told her about the incident.

"I'll be discussing this with Queenstown police and following that, I'll be making a decision on whether we are intending to take it further."

- MOUNTAIN SCENE