New Zealand National Cat Management Strategy Group Report 2020 New Zealand National Cat Management Strategy Group Report August 2020 Page 1 of 197 New Zealand National Cat Management Strategy Group Report 2020 New Zealand National Cat Management Strategy Group Report Table of Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 5 Key recommendations of the NCMSG for effective and humane cat management: ........ 6 The National Cat Management Strategy Group ........................................................... 11 Purpose of the National Cat Management Strategy Group ........................................... 11 Strategic vision of the National Cat Management Strategy Group ................................ 12 Strategic goals and outcomes ..................................................................................... 12 National Cat Management Stakeholders ...................................................................................... 15 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 15 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 16 2. Human approaches to cat management should protect cat welfare ......................... 17 2.1. The value of cats ............................................................................................. 17 2.2. Responsible domestic cat ownership ............................................................... 20 2.2.1. Reducing cat surrender and abandonment .................................................................. 21 2.2.2. The benefits of cat ownership ...................................................................................... 23 2.2.3. Using humane management practices to control all cats. ........................................... 24 3. The need to manage cats in urban, rural, and wild environments ............................. 25 3.1. The impact of domestic cats on human communities ....................................... 25 3.1.1. Zoonotic disease ........................................................................................................... 25 3.1.2. Nuisance behaviours ..................................................................................................... 27 3.2. The impact of all cats on pastoral industries ..................................................... 29 3.3. The impact of cats on biodiversity ................................................................... 32 3.3.1. Identifying and protecting sensitive wildlife areas from all cats .................................. 34 3.3.2. Public education on the negative impacts of cats on biodiversity ............................... 35 4. Approaches to effective and humane cat management ............................................ 37 4.1. Managing feral cats ......................................................................................... 39 4.1.1. Techniques used to control feral cats ........................................................................... 40 4.2. Managing stray cats ........................................................................................ 43 4.2.1. Limiting flow of cats into the stray cat population ....................................................... 43 Page 2 of 197 New Zealand National Cat Management Strategy Group Report 2020 4.2.2. Reducing the number of stray cats ............................................................................... 44 4.2.3. Education programmes and support for stray cat carers ............................................. 58 4.3. Managing companion (owned) cats ................................................................. 59 4.3.1. Responsible cat ownership ........................................................................................... 59 4.3.2. Cat containment............................................................................................................ 60 4.3.3. Identification ................................................................................................................. 62 4.3.4. Registration ................................................................................................................... 66 4.3.5. Mandatory desexing ..................................................................................................... 67 5. Humane and effective framework for cat management in New Zealand ................... 75 5.1. Current framework .......................................................................................... 75 5.2. Improving the legislative and regulatory approach ........................................... 76 5.2.1. National Cat Act ............................................................................................................ 76 5.2.2. Bylaw Alignment with National Legislation .................................................................. 77 5.3. Improving the educative approach................................................................... 78 5.3.1. Increasing responsible cat ownership ........................................................................... 78 5.3.2. Public engagement on stray and feral cat management .............................................. 80 Lethal control as a strategy........................................................................................................... 81 6. Ensuring cat management strategies are effective and humane ............................... 82 6.1. Monitoring and Evaluation of cat management ................................................ 82 6.1.1. Using ethical principles of animal management to guide action .................................. 83 6.1.2. Using adaptive frameworks to manage cats ................................................................. 84 6.2. Collecting and managing data on cat management activities ............................ 86 7. Collaboration between government, NGOs, and the community .............................. 88 7.1. New Zealand Government ............................................................................... 88 7.1.1. Governmental agencies involved in cat management.................................................. 88 7.1.2. Legal reform .................................................................................................................. 89 7.1.3. Developing and sharing resources ................................................................................ 89 7.2. Local government ............................................................................................ 89 7.3. Organisations and professionals with an interest in cat management ............... 90 7.3.1. Conservation groups ..................................................................................................... 90 7.3.2. Animal welfare organisations ....................................................................................... 90 7.3.3. Veterinarians ................................................................................................................. 91 7.3.4. Cat breeders .................................................................................................................. 91 Page 3 of 197 New Zealand National Cat Management Strategy Group Report 2020 7.3.5. Pet retailers and manufacturers ................................................................................... 91 7.4. Individuals with an interest in cat management ............................................... 92 7.4.1. Cat owners .................................................................................................................... 92 7.4.2. Stray cat carers .............................................................................................................. 92 7.4.3. People who neither own nor provide care for cats ...................................................... 93 8. Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 94 9. References .............................................................................................................. 95 Appendix 1: Existing legislative, regulatory and educative framework relating to cat management in New Zealand ....................................................................................... 134 The Animal Welfare Act 1999 (current as at 7 October 2019) ..................................... 134 Animal Welfare (Companion Cats) Code of Welfare 2018 .......................................... 149 Minimum Standards: Animal Welfare (Companion Cats) Code of Welfare ............................... 149 Other legislation applying to cat management .......................................................... 153 Resource Management Act 1991 ................................................................................................ 153 Biosecurity Act 1993 ................................................................................................................... 154 Conservation Act 1987 ................................................................................................................ 155 Wildlife Act 1953 ......................................................................................................................... 156 National Parks Act 1980 .............................................................................................................