Killer cat facts we can't talk about – and why that needs to change
Cats can be cute and when it suits them also cuddly. Their quirky habits make us laugh. We can love them like family. But cats across Aotearoa lead many lives. While well-fed moggies snooze on the sofa, out in the back blocks, large feral cats devour native birds, bats, lizards, weta and other small insects in a relentless slaughter thats driving some species to extinction. READ MORE: * Organisers of canned feral cat hunting competition received death threats, threats to burn down a school * The Detail: Are cats mostly pets or mainly predators? * Tackling the feral cats preying on endangered kea Cats are a massive problem for many of our native species, says Dr Danielle Shanahan, chief executive of Wellington eco-sanctuary Zealandia. Shanahan says some birds like kaka can thrive outside a sanctuary like Zealandia, but the saddleback, or tieke, are one of many native species that simply cant survive where cats can prey on them. Birds stand out for most of us, but cats also have a huge impact on our native lizards. And a lot of that goes unnoticed and under the radar. It's terrifying how many species we could lose without being super aware about it, says Shanahan. Its time we tried having a mature conversation about our countrys feral cat problem . Can we love cats, and also accept that native birds and other small creatures deserve our protection? Cats are a political hot potato: controversial cat policies were enough to sink the election fortunes of the TOP party a decade ago. Last weeks furore over the North Canterburys feral cat hunting competition showed some still cant help turning the topic into a verbal cat fight. The event category was removed after concerns were raised, but not before vile and inappropriate emails and messages, including death threats, were posted on the groups Facebook page and sent to organisers. A local school was also targeted with a threat to burn it down despite the popular event being independent and community run. In the wake of the cancellation, spokespeople for several organisations contacted by Stuff said they had views theyd love to share regarding feral cats, but couldnt do so for fear of being personally abused or targeted by crazy cat-lovers. The numbers are scary. Theres an estimated 2.5 million wild and feral cats in our country. Thats about double the number of domestic cats. We will never make progress on our national conservation objectives unless we take some really brave steps to have that conversation as a community, says Shanahan. One place to start could be in understanding the three main types of cats in New Zealand: companions, strays and feral. Companion cats are the moggies we all love as pets and are part of the family. Strays are not owned, but still have some interaction and dependence on humans, explains Nicky Snoyink, Forest and Bird regional conservation manager for Canterbury and West Coast. Then there are feral cats out there doing all the damage -- in the back country especially, says Snoyink. Feral cats are hungry and highly mobile. One feral cat in the South Island high country was tracked by Department of Conservation (DOC) scientists covering almost 6 km in one night. Feral cats can look similar to common short-haired house cats but often bigger. Stuff reports have shown pest controllers with a 9.2kg feral cat and another at a massive 10kg. One prominent hunter Stuff spoke said its common to see feral cats in the back blocks. Ive shot a deer and then gone back to the carcass and theres a giant feral cat chewing on it like a tiger. Meeting with the environment select committee alongside other groups like Predator Free, New Zealand, the SPCA, DoC and other groups, we all said much the same thing: there is a real and desperate need for a cat management act, says Snoyink. Where dog ownership is highly regulated, cat management is currently a series of ad hoc animal bylaws. Some councils have cat microchipping and desexing rules, some even limit the number of cats per household. Mandatory microchipping would separate companion cats out from feral cats ensuring pets could be identified and protected, says Snoyink. As a SPCA report argues, cats are poorly served by existing legislation and deserve comprehensive law reform. In the meantime, without consistent legislation its up to individuals to keep our cats more contained .