Whanganui District Council approves three cats per premises limit

Responsible owners will be able to apply for an exemption to the three-cat limit. Photo / File

A three cats per premises limit will come into force in Whanganui on July 1 next year.

Households will only be allowed three cats under a Whanganui District Council amendment of the Keeping of Animals, Poultry and Bees Bylaw 2020 this week. Animals will have to be desexed and, before they are 4 months old, microchipped.

Cats kept for breeding purposes are exempt.

Council compliance operations manager Warrick Zander said most cat owners have three or fewer cats anyway.

"We expect reductions in cat numbers will happen gradually over time and we'll use a graduated response to compliance, starting with education." Responsible owners who have more than three cats that aren't causing a nuisance can apply for an exemption, he said.

The bylaw, which does not cover dogs as they are under separate rules, has to be reviewed every five years. Another amendment limits beehives to two per premises in urban areas. Pigs and roosters cannot be kept in the urban area and horses can only be kept with council approval.

The new rules for cats take effect from July 1, 2021. All other amendments apply from August 31.