A Dunedin veterinarian says introducing cat controls is about the welfare of the animals, not killing them.
Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa managing director Helen Beattie is trying to change the minds of those who are on the fence about the most recent push towards a national cat management strategy.
Dr Beattie will be explaining how her organisation is in support of a petition to the Government at a meeting at the Lake Wanaka Centre in Wanaka tonight.
The petition, if enacted into law, would require all cats kept as pets to be registered, microchipped and desexed - with an exception for registered cat breeders.
Dr Beattie said cats were a sentient species and she believed the country collectively cared about their welfare. However, some people had lost the ability to think objectively, she said.