Cats To Go http://garethsworld.com/catstogo Learn about the damage cats do in New Zealand Fri, 17 May 2013 03:16:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Eradication push gets cat lovers’ backs up http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/eradication-push-gets-cat-lovers-backs-up/ http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/eradication-push-gets-cat-lovers-backs-up/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 03:16:07 +0000 Gareth Morgan http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/?p=533 WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Call it the Kiwi cat wars.   In this island nation said to harbor more cat owners per capita than any other country, a furor has broken out over a crusade to eradicate man’s second-best friend. The charge is being led by Gareth Morgan, a nationally renowned economist-turned-environmental-activist, who has dubbed cats “natural-born killers” that are menacing the native bird population and bringing some to the verge of extinction. In late January, the philanthropist launched a website outlining his plan that would eventually lead to a cat-free country. Some scientists said he was, in fact, understating the threat posed by little Fluffy, while others argued that the ecosystem was far more complex than he was allowing for. The mere suggestion of a feline-free nation is raising the dander of cat lovers of every stripe, with everyone from the prime minister to animal-welfare activists calling Morgan a kitty hater of the worst sort. Writing on the opposition group Cats to Stay’s Facebook page, which has more than 6,000 “likes,” Jeremy Chang wrote of Morgan: “making the capital pest-free? then he should stay away from Wellington.” This is a nation with an uneasy relationship to pests. Because of its geographic isolation, the country has become home to an exotic bird life that evolved in the absence of any native mammals, save three species of bats. Many birds, including the kiwi — the country’s national symbol — became flightless. Rats, opossums, short-tailed weasels — these have long been maligned here as wholly unwelcome interlopers wreaking havoc on the native bird life and landscape made famous by the “Lord of the Rings” films. The Conservation Department spent two years and more than $500,000 eradicating three short-tailed weasels off nearby Kapiti Island, for example. But cats? New Zealanders love their little felines, with one study estimating they have the highest rate of cat ownership in the world. “We have got a concerted effort on opossums, rats, mice, mustelids, but the one that stands out is cats. Everybody is too bloody PC and scared to take on cats. So I thought, I can handle that,” said Morgan, one of this city’s best-known figures. Undeterred by the hate mail in his inbox — much of it from Americans, Morgan says — the businessman took his message to New Zealand’s third-largest island last week in a campaign to make it pest-free, meaning cleared of feral cats, rats and other pests. He also wants the 400 residents to contain their free-roaming domestic cats. New Zealand has already cleared more than 80 of its 220 offshore islands of invasive species. But Morgan’s target, Stewart Island, is 15 times larger than any other that has been made pest-free, so the effort would be closely watched by conservationists around the world. Morgan insists he is not anti-cat, just anti-wandering cat. He wants domestic cats registered, as dogs are, and also neutered, kept indoors at all times or taken out on a leash, and not replaced when they die. The furor has renewed a broader debate about the possibility — however far-fetched — of a New Zealand free of pests. Why not chuck out the whole lot? The idea gained steam in early 2012 after Paul Callaghan, a celebrated scientist who died later that year, said the concept could be New Zealand’s equivalent of the Apollo space program. The notion of a pest-free New Zealand is not without huge challenges, including a massive price tag: A recent report by Landcare Research, a government research arm, said such an undertaking would exceed $20 billion.

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]]> WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Call it the Kiwi cat wars.

 

In this island nation said to harbor more cat owners per capita than any other country, a furor has broken out over a crusade to eradicate man’s second-best friend. The charge is being led by Gareth Morgan, a nationally renowned economist-turned-environmental-activist, who has dubbed cats “natural-born killers” that are menacing the native bird population and bringing some to the verge of extinction.

In late January, the philanthropist launched a website outlining his plan that would eventually lead to a cat-free country. Some scientists said he was, in fact, understating the threat posed by little Fluffy, while others argued that the ecosystem was far more complex than he was allowing for.

The mere suggestion of a feline-free nation is raising the dander of cat lovers of every stripe, with everyone from the prime minister to animal-welfare activists calling Morgan a kitty hater of the worst sort.

Writing on the opposition group Cats to Stay’s Facebook page, which has more than 6,000 “likes,” Jeremy Chang wrote of Morgan: “making the capital pest-free? then he should stay away from Wellington.”

This is a nation with an uneasy relationship to pests. Because of its geographic isolation, the country has become home to an exotic bird life that evolved in the absence of any native mammals, save three species of bats. Many birds, including the kiwi — the country’s national symbol — became flightless.

Rats, opossums, short-tailed weasels — these have long been maligned here as wholly unwelcome interlopers wreaking havoc on the native bird life and landscape made famous by the “Lord of the Rings” films. The Conservation Department spent two years and more than $500,000 eradicating three short-tailed weasels off nearby Kapiti Island, for example.

But cats? New Zealanders love their little felines, with one study estimating they have the highest rate of cat ownership in the world.

“We have got a concerted effort on opossums, rats, mice, mustelids, but the one that stands out is cats. Everybody is too bloody PC and scared to take on cats. So I thought, I can handle that,” said Morgan, one of this city’s best-known figures.

Undeterred by the hate mail in his inbox — much of it from Americans, Morgan says — the businessman took his message to New Zealand’s third-largest island last week in a campaign to make it pest-free, meaning cleared of feral cats, rats and other pests. He also wants the 400 residents to contain their free-roaming domestic cats.

New Zealand has already cleared more than 80 of its 220 offshore islands of invasive species. But Morgan’s target, Stewart Island, is 15 times larger than any other that has been made pest-free, so the effort would be closely watched by conservationists around the world.

Morgan insists he is not anti-cat, just anti-wandering cat. He wants domestic cats registered, as dogs are, and also neutered, kept indoors at all times or taken out on a leash, and not replaced when they die.

The furor has renewed a broader debate about the possibility — however far-fetched — of a New Zealand free of pests. Why not chuck out the whole lot? The idea gained steam in early 2012 after Paul Callaghan, a celebrated scientist who died later that year, said the concept could be New Zealand’s equivalent of the Apollo space program.

The notion of a pest-free New Zealand is not without huge challenges, including a massive price tag: A recent report by Landcare Research, a government research arm, said such an undertaking would exceed $20 billion.

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]]> http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/eradication-push-gets-cat-lovers-backs-up/feed/ 0 Cat war breaks out in New Zealand http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/cat-war-breaks-out-in-new-zealand/ http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/cat-war-breaks-out-in-new-zealand/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 21:42:54 +0000 Gareth Morgan http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/?p=529 In this island nation said to harbor more cat owners per capita than any other country, a furor has broken out over a crusade to eradicate man’s second-best friend. The charge is being led by Gareth Morgan, a nationally renowned economist-turned-environmental-activist, who has dubbed cats “natural born killers” that are menacing the native bird population and bringing some to the verge of extinction. In late January, Morgan launched the Web site Cats to Go, outlining a plan that would eventually lead to a cat-free country. Some scientists said he was, in fact, understating the threat posed by little Fluffy, while others argued that the ecosystem was far more complex than he was allowing for. The mere suggestion of a feline-free nation is raising the dander of cat lovers of every stripe, with everyone from the prime minister to animal-welfare activists calling Morgan a kitty hater of the worst sort. Writing on the opposition group Cats to Stay’s Facebook page, which has more than 6,000 “likes,” Jeremy Chang said of Morgan: “making the capital pest-free? then he should stay away from Wellington.” This is a nation with an uneasy relationshi with pests. Because of its geographic isolation, the country has become home to an exotic bird life that evolved in the absence of any native mammals, save three species of bats. Many birds, including the kiwi — the country’s national symbol — became flightless. Rats, opossums, short-tailed weasels — these have long been maligned here as wholly unwelcome interlopers wreaking havoc on the native bird life and landscape made famous by the “Lord of the Rings” films. The Conservation Department spent two years and more than $500,000 eradicating three short-tailed weasels on nearby Kapiti Island, for example. But cats? New Zealanders love their felines, with one study estimating that they have the highest rate of cat ownership in the world. “We have got a concerted effort on opossums, rats, mice, mustelids, but the one that stands out is cats. Everybody is too bloody PC and scared to take on cats. So I thought, I can handle that,” said Morgan, one of this city’s best-known figures. Undeterred by the hate mail in his inbox — much of it from Americans, Morgan says — the businessman took his message to New Zealand’s third-largest island last week in a campaign to make it pest-free, meaning cleared of feral cats, rats and other pests. He also wants the 400 residents to contain their free-roaming domestic cats. New Zealand has cleared more than 80 of its 220 offshore islands of invasive species. But Morgan’s target, Stewart Island, is 15 times larger than any other that has been made pest-free, so the effort would be closely watched by conservationists around the world. Morgan insists he is not anti-cat, just anti-wandering-cat. He wants domestic cats registered, as dogs are, and neutered, kept indoors at all times or taken out on a leash, and not replaced when they die. The furor has renewed a broader debate about the possibility — however far-fetched — of a New Zealand free of pests. Why not chuck the whole lot? The idea gained steam in early 2012 after Paul Callaghan, a celebrated scientist who died later that year, said the concept could be New Zealand’s equivalent of the Apollo space program. The notion of a pest-free New Zealand is not without huge challenges, including a massive price tag: A recent report by Landcare Research, a government research arm, said such an undertaking would exceed $20 billion. Still, scientists here talk dreamily about their 50-year vision of a country with no pest or invasive species. Cows and sheep could stay, but opossums, rats, weasels, ferrets and mice would have to go. And cats? “Cats are the major sticking point to a pest-free New Zealand,” said James Russell, an ecologist at the University of Auckland. Cats may be cuddly companions, but they are predators, too: A study this year by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Fish and Wildlife Service found that cats kill a median of 2.4 billion birds in the United States each year, substantially more than previously thought. It’s hard to overstate just how much New Zealanders love birds, perhaps because theirs are unlike any others on the planet. Their dollar bills are festooned with birds. Radio New Zealandplays a bird call before the morning news. There is a multimillion-dollar bird sanctuary just minutes from downtown Wellington. (Morgan calls it “the most expensive cat food factory in the country.”) But there are competing views on the impact cats have in a complex ecosystem and whether birds would be worse off in the absence of cats, who prey on bird-killing rats. “The jury is out,” said Andrea Byrom, an ecologist at Landcare Research. Morgan helps fuel the debate by taking a few playful swipes at his critics. Take, for instance, his exchange with Prime Minister John Key after Key said his cat, Moonbeam, would never hurt a bird. Why not perform an autopsy on Moonbeam, Morgan recalled suggesting. “And I said, ‘If there isn’t any feathers, I’ll buy you a new one.’ ”

The post Cat war breaks out in New Zealand appeared first on Cats To Go.

]]> In this island nation said to harbor more cat owners per capita than any other country, a furor has broken out over a crusade to eradicate man’s second-best friend. The charge is being led by Gareth Morgan, a nationally renowned economist-turned-environmental-activist, who has dubbed cats “natural born killers” that are menacing the native bird population and bringing some to the verge of extinction.gareth-Morgan

In late January, Morgan launched the Web site Cats to Go, outlining a plan that would eventually lead to a cat-free country. Some scientists said he was, in fact, understating the threat posed by little Fluffy, while others argued that the ecosystem was far more complex than he was allowing for.

The mere suggestion of a feline-free nation is raising the dander of cat lovers of every stripe, with everyone from the prime minister to animal-welfare activists calling Morgan a kitty hater of the worst sort.

Writing on the opposition group Cats to Stay’s Facebook page, which has more than 6,000 “likes,” Jeremy Chang said of Morgan: “making the capital pest-free? then he should stay away from Wellington.”

This is a nation with an uneasy relationshi with pests. Because of its geographic isolation, the country has become home to an exotic bird life that evolved in the absence of any native mammals, save three species of bats. Many birds, including the kiwi — the country’s national symbol — became flightless.

Rats, opossums, short-tailed weasels — these have long been maligned here as wholly unwelcome interlopers wreaking havoc on the native bird life and landscape made famous by the “Lord of the Rings” films. The Conservation Department spent two years and more than $500,000 eradicating three short-tailed weasels on nearby Kapiti Island, for example.

But cats? New Zealanders love their felines, with one study estimating that they have the highest rate of cat ownership in the world.

“We have got a concerted effort on opossums, rats, mice, mustelids, but the one that stands out is cats. Everybody is too bloody PC and scared to take on cats. So I thought, I can handle that,” said Morgan, one of this city’s best-known figures.

Undeterred by the hate mail in his inbox — much of it from Americans, Morgan says — the businessman took his message to New Zealand’s third-largest island last week in a campaign to make it pest-free, meaning cleared of feral cats, rats and other pests. He also wants the 400 residents to contain their free-roaming domestic cats.

New Zealand has cleared more than 80 of its 220 offshore islands of invasive species. But Morgan’s target, Stewart Island, is 15 times larger than any other that has been made pest-free, so the effort would be closely watched by conservationists around the world.

Morgan insists he is not anti-cat, just anti-wandering-cat. He wants domestic cats registered, as dogs are, and neutered, kept indoors at all times or taken out on a leash, and not replaced when they die.

The furor has renewed a broader debate about the possibility — however far-fetched — of a New Zealand free of pests. Why not chuck the whole lot? The idea gained steam in early 2012 after Paul Callaghan, a celebrated scientist who died later that year, said the concept could be New Zealand’s equivalent of the Apollo space program.

The notion of a pest-free New Zealand is not without huge challenges, including a massive price tag: A recent report by Landcare Research, a government research arm, said such an undertaking would exceed $20 billion.

Still, scientists here talk dreamily about their 50-year vision of a country with no pest or invasive species. Cows and sheep could stay, but opossums, rats, weasels, ferrets and mice would have to go. And cats?

“Cats are the major sticking point to a pest-free New Zealand,” said James Russell, an ecologist at the University of Auckland.

Cats may be cuddly companions, but they are predators, too: A study this year by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Fish and Wildlife Service found that cats kill a median of 2.4 billion birds in the United States each year, substantially more than previously thought.

It’s hard to overstate just how much New Zealanders love birds, perhaps because theirs are unlike any others on the planet. Their dollar bills are festooned with birds. Radio New Zealandplays a bird call before the morning news. There is a multimillion-dollar bird sanctuary just minutes from downtown Wellington. (Morgan calls it “the most expensive cat food factory in the country.”)

But there are competing views on the impact cats have in a complex ecosystem and whether birds would be worse off in the absence of cats, who prey on bird-killing rats. “The jury is out,” said Andrea Byrom, an ecologist at Landcare Research.

Morgan helps fuel the debate by taking a few playful swipes at his critics.

Take, for instance, his exchange with Prime Minister John Key after Key said his cat, Moonbeam, would never hurt a bird.

Why not perform an autopsy on Moonbeam, Morgan recalled suggesting. “And I said, ‘If there isn’t any feathers, I’ll buy you a new one.’ ”

The post Cat war breaks out in New Zealand appeared first on Cats To Go.

]]> http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/cat-war-breaks-out-in-new-zealand/feed/ 0 ERADICAT – Australian attitudes towards Cats http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/eradicat-australian-attitudes-towards-cats/ http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/eradicat-australian-attitudes-towards-cats/#comments Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:14:45 +0000 Gareth Morgan http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/?p=519 The Cats the To Go campaign has touched people in many countries around the world. In particular it has sparked massive debate in Australia, where the Australian Geographic has covered it and now SBS’s Insight program has featured an open debate for an hour on the topic of cat control and the effect that cats have on the environment. The program was exceptionally well done. Watching the video you will get to see some excellent mature discussion from cat lovers and conservationists alike. One thing that is clear is that there are exceptionally environmentally conscious cat owners in Australia and the lengths they go to in order to protect the environment whilst indulging in the pleasure of cat ownership are excellent. But when it comes to cat controls the Australian councils are miles ahead of their New Zealand counterparts, who lack spine in dealing to wandering cats as they do to wandering dogs. Australian controls include compulsory micro-chipping, fines, and legislated areas which prohibit cats being outdoors. It is also interesting to listen to the Australian RSPCA’s attitude to trap neuter and release programs. Whilst compassionate and respectful to the people who support TNR campaigns, the RSPCA representative stated that “If you trap it (cats), trap it and remove it. And you remove it for good”. Why is it then that our SPCA in New Zealand continues support stray cat colonies in such an irresponsible way, leaving those cats free to slaughter wildlife? The New Zealand SPCA’s actions are not in the interest of the cats or our wildlife, the organisation has in essence become a conservation pariah. The Australian RSPCA leader also pointed out on the TV show the fact that people have double standards when it comes to attitudes towards the responsible ownership towards roaming dogs and cats. The enlightenment of this man is in stark contrast to the animal rights nutters running the SPCA in New Zealand. SBS asked me to be involved in the conversation and I thank them for the opportunity.  

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]]> The Cats the To Go campaign has touched people in many countries around the world. In particular it has sparked massive debate in Australia, where the Australian Geographic has covered it and now SBS’s Insight program has featured an open debate for an hour on the topic of cat control and the effect that cats have on the environment.

The program was exceptionally well done. Watching the video you will get to see some excellent mature discussion from cat lovers and conservationists alike. One thing that is clear is that there are exceptionally environmentally conscious cat owners in Australia and the lengths they go to in order to protect the environment whilst indulging in the pleasure of cat ownership are excellent.

But when it comes to cat controls the Australian councils are miles ahead of their New Zealand counterparts, who lack spine in dealing to wandering cats as they do to wandering dogs. Australian controls include compulsory micro-chipping, fines, and legislated areas which prohibit cats being outdoors.

It is also interesting to listen to the Australian RSPCA’s attitude to trap neuter and release programs. Whilst compassionate and respectful to the people who support TNR campaigns, the RSPCA representative stated that “If you trap it (cats), trap it and remove it. And you remove it for good”. Why is it then that our SPCA in New Zealand continues support stray cat colonies in such an irresponsible way, leaving those cats free to slaughter wildlife? The New Zealand SPCA’s actions are not in the interest of the cats or our wildlife, the organisation has in essence become a conservation pariah.

The Australian RSPCA leader also pointed out on the TV show the fact that people have double standards when it comes to attitudes towards the responsible ownership towards roaming dogs and cats. The enlightenment of this man is in stark contrast to the animal rights nutters running the SPCA in New Zealand.

SBS asked me to be involved in the conversation and I thank them for the opportunity.

 

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]]> http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/eradicat-australian-attitudes-towards-cats/feed/ 23 INFOGRAPHIC: The damage domestic cats do in New Zealand http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/cats-infographic/ http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/cats-infographic/#comments Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:27:09 +0000 Gareth Morgan http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/?p=489 Embed this infographic about what your domestic cat is doing to our wildlife in New Zealand on your website Copy and Paste the Code Below Learn more about the damage cats do to our wildlife in New Zealand at http://catstogo.org.nz Share this on your social network now

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]]> Infographic Damage cats do in New Zealand

Embed this infographic about what your domestic cat is doing to our wildlife in New Zealand on your website

Copy and Paste the Code Below

Share this on your social network now

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]]> http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/cats-infographic/feed/ 0 Support for Morgan’s Cat Campaign Just Keeps Growing http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/support-for-morgans-cat-campaign-just-keeps-growing/ http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/support-for-morgans-cat-campaign-just-keeps-growing/#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:02:22 +0000 Gareth Morgan http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/?p=463 My cat campaign may have got some people’s backs up, but it is attracting a growing level of support. Meanwhile the beleaguered SPCA, in the gun for its policy of supporting stray cats that wander and slaughter, is facing a revolution from within its own ranks. When I first spoke out, many asked me if I had lost it completely. Since then many of New Zealand’s top experts have come out in support of the fact that wandering cats pose a serious threat to our wildlife and need management. Most notable supporters include Dame Ann Salmond, (New Zealander of the Year) and Professor Charles Daugherty ONZM, (Professor of Ecology at Victoria University of Wellington and a Trustee of Wellington’s Zealandia). Experts from the following organisations have also agreed we have a problem and that cats need to be managed: The Department of Conservation School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University Forest and Bird Landcare New Zealand The Veterinarians of Massey University’s Wildbase Hospital Biodiversity teams in the Auckland Council, and Wellington and Southland Regional Councils Auckland University, School of Biological Sciences Department of Zoology, Otago University Department of Natural Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology Zealandia Companion Animal Society of New Zealand Veterinary Association   The majority of Kiwis now seem to agree. When faced with information about the damage caused by cats, only 20% of Kiwis maintain that we shouldn’t reduce the cat population. This is the same vocal minority that have howled throughout the campaign at anyone who dares question the sacrosanct moggie. But the fact is that the majority of cat owners are reasonable people and most people agree with sensible measures like compulsory chipping, registering and neutering cats, which would allow us to take care of the stray cat problem. There is also broad support for banning cats around sensitive wildlife areas – a result that was confirmed by a public meeting we held in Karori. These changes would be a massive leap forward in cat management in New Zealand, and I see that result as a huge win for my campaign. While most people agree we need fewer cats, the tough bit is deciding how. This is where some of my suggestions have been more controversial. Ridding our cities of stray cats again seems a popular start, but ideas like confining your cat (indoors or in an enclosure as is popular in Australia) or not replacing your cat when it dies have met with more limited support. That is not surprising, most new ideas take time for people to get used to. Most non-cat owners seem to want the right to keep cats off their property, but haven’t tied that idea to cat owners actually taking responsibility for their pets. However it should not be such an alien idea – we already manage dogs the same way. Indoor cats are now the norm in many countries overseas. While many Kiwis view this as cruel for the cat, keeping a cat inside from when it is very young has been shown to improve their health overall as they avoid accidents and fights. In contrast the SPCA is struggling to find any credible support for its championing of the rights of wandering cats. In their advocacy and practice of trap, neuter and return of stray cats Bob Kerridge and the Directors of Wellington SPCA, arguably New Zealand’s worst, are increasingly being isolated. They arrogantly ignore the science and put cat rights above those of all other native wildlife. Even their fellow cat lovers have come out against this policy, which not only condemns our native wildlife to slaughter but also leaves the cats living dangerous and diseased lives. Examples of the schism appearing include: The entire Australian SPCA movement Waikato SPCA Nelson SPCA Lonely Miaow cat charity in Auckland   In the past politicians have been scared off by the sheer size of the cat-owning fraternity (47% of households own cats). But the good news is that the majority of cat owners are responsible, and once made aware of the damage wandering cats do, have no issue with managing the problem. Of course any social issue of this type always attracts an ignorant rump of self-centred objectors, but as our public meeting in Karori showed these are a loud but small, entrenched minority. This presents a significant opportunity for local or national politicians with an environmental conscience, if they can discover their courage. Cats need to be managed just as dogs are; the only reason they are not is because dogs hurt humans and cattle whereas cats ‘merely’ pose a threat to our native wildlife. The majority of people want local councils to take cat control out of the ‘too hard’ basket and start to manage the damage by stopping cats wandering. Australia is miles ahead of us on cat control. New Zealand needs politicians with courage to take on the rabid cats’-rights lobby and protect the rights of the silent majority and New Zealand’s natural heritage. Meanwhile I’d appreciate as many organisations coming out and publicly supporting me as we try to get the SPCA to pull its head in and local councils to get their City Pounds to start managing the wandering cat problem.   References and further reading Wildbase_Position_Statement_on_Cats_and_Wildlife http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10862659 http://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2013/01/23/cats-impact-on-native-wildlife-experts-respond/ http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/prints/protection-of-native-animals-native-cat-food-9319755/ http://www.es.govt.nz/environment/pests/regional-pest-management/ http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/environmentwaste/pestsdiseases/Pages/ourbiosecurityrole.aspx http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8210513/Cats-are-natural-born-killers http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7288835/They-re-killers-Zealandia-calls-for-fewer-cats http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/8180514/Cats-not-NZs-main-culprit-killers http://sciblogs.co.nz/politecol/ http://www.3news.co.nz/Gareth-Morgans-Cats-To-Go-campaign-questioned/tabid/1160/articleID/284042/Default.aspx http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/8211637/Fur-flies-over-campaign-to-curb-cuddly-killers  

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]]>

micky-savage-cat (1)My cat campaign may have got some people’s backs up, but it is attracting a growing level of support. Meanwhile the beleaguered SPCA, in the gun for its policy of supporting stray cats that wander and slaughter, is facing a revolution from within its own ranks.

When I first spoke out, many asked me if I had lost it completely. Since then many of New Zealand’s top experts have come out in support of the fact that wandering cats pose a serious threat to our wildlife and need management. Most notable supporters include Dame Ann Salmond, (New Zealander of the Year) and Professor Charles Daugherty ONZM, (Professor of Ecology at Victoria University of Wellington and a Trustee of Wellington’s Zealandia). Experts from the following organisations have also agreed we have a problem and that cats need to be managed:

  1. The Department of Conservation
  2. School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University
  3. Forest and Bird
  4. Landcare New Zealand
  5. The Veterinarians of Massey University’s Wildbase Hospital
  6. Biodiversity teams in the Auckland Council, and Wellington and Southland Regional Councils
  7. Auckland University, School of Biological Sciences
  8. Department of Zoology, Otago University
  9. Department of Natural Sciences, Unitec Institute of Technology
  10. Zealandia
  11. Companion Animal Society of New Zealand Veterinary Association

 

The majority of Kiwis now seem to agree. When faced with information about the damage caused by cats, only 20% of Kiwis maintain that we shouldn’t reduce the cat population. This is the same vocal minority that have howled throughout the campaign at anyone who dares question the sacrosanct moggie. But the fact is that the majority of cat owners are reasonable people and most people agree with sensible measures like compulsory chipping, registering and neutering cats, which would allow us to take care of the stray cat problem. There is also broad support for banning cats around sensitive wildlife areas – a result that was confirmed by a public meeting we held in Karori. These changes would be a massive leap forward in cat management in New Zealand, and I see that result as a huge win for my campaign.

While most people agree we need fewer cats, the tough bit is deciding how. This is where some of my suggestions have been more controversial. Ridding our cities of stray cats again seems a popular start, but ideas like confining your cat (indoors or in an enclosure as is popular in Australia) or not replacing your cat when it dies have met with more limited support. That is not surprising, most new ideas take time for people to get used to. Most non-cat owners seem to want the right to keep cats off their property, but haven’t tied that idea to cat owners actually taking responsibility for their pets. However it should not be such an alien idea – we already manage dogs the same way. Indoor cats are now the norm in many countries overseas. While many Kiwis view this as cruel for the cat, keeping a cat inside from when it is very young has been shown to improve their health overall as they avoid accidents and fights.

In contrast the SPCA is struggling to find any credible support for its championing of the rights of wandering cats. In their advocacy and practice of trap, neuter and return of stray cats Bob Kerridge and the Directors of Wellington SPCA, arguably New Zealand’s worst, are increasingly being isolated. They arrogantly ignore the science and put cat rights above those of all other native wildlife. Even their fellow cat lovers have come out against this policy, which not only condemns our native wildlife to slaughter but also leaves the cats living dangerous and diseased lives. Examples of the schism appearing include:

  • The entire Australian SPCA movement
  • Waikato SPCA
  • Nelson SPCA
  • Lonely Miaow cat charity in Auckland

 

In the past politicians have been scared off by the sheer size of the cat-owning fraternity (47% of households own cats). But the good news is that the majority of cat owners are responsible, and once made aware of the damage wandering cats do, have no issue with managing the problem. Of course any social issue of this type always attracts an ignorant rump of self-centred objectors, but as our public meeting in Karori showed these are a loud but small, entrenched minority.

This presents a significant opportunity for local or national politicians with an environmental conscience, if they can discover their courage. Cats need to be managed just as dogs are; the only reason they are not is because dogs hurt humans and cattle whereas cats ‘merely’ pose a threat to our native wildlife. The majority of people want local councils to take cat control out of the ‘too hard’ basket and start to manage the damage by stopping cats wandering. Australia is miles ahead of us on cat control. New Zealand needs politicians with courage to take on the rabid cats’-rights lobby and protect the rights of the silent majority and New Zealand’s natural heritage.

Meanwhile I’d appreciate as many organisations coming out and publicly supporting me as we try to get the SPCA to pull its head in and local councils to get their City Pounds to start managing the wandering cat problem.

 

References and further reading

Wildbase_Position_Statement_on_Cats_and_Wildlife

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10862659

http://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2013/01/23/cats-impact-on-native-wildlife-experts-respond/

http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/prints/protection-of-native-animals-native-cat-food-9319755/

http://www.es.govt.nz/environment/pests/regional-pest-management/

http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/environmentwaste/pestsdiseases/Pages/ourbiosecurityrole.aspx

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8210513/Cats-are-natural-born-killers

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7288835/They-re-killers-Zealandia-calls-for-fewer-cats

http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/8180514/Cats-not-NZs-main-culprit-killers

http://sciblogs.co.nz/politecol/

http://www.3news.co.nz/Gareth-Morgans-Cats-To-Go-campaign-questioned/tabid/1160/articleID/284042/Default.aspx

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/8211637/Fur-flies-over-campaign-to-curb-cuddly-killers

 

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]]> http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/support-for-morgans-cat-campaign-just-keeps-growing/feed/ 64 Calling all Cat Spotters – Let us know where cats are roaming http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/calling-all-cat-spotters/ http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/calling-all-cat-spotters/#comments Thu, 28 Feb 2013 02:53:59 +0000 Gareth Morgan http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/?p=442 We want YOU to keep an eye out for wandering cats and let us know if there are any cat colonies in your neighbourhood. You can also sign up for updates on cat colonies in your area. The Government and most New Zealand Councils are too spineless to control cats. There are only a handful of areas with restrictions on numbers of cats or where they can wander. Surprise, surprise – as a result the numbers wandering around merrily killing things for pleasure continues to soar. The lack of cat registration, chipping and neutering makes it difficult to control strays, stop cats being dumped or hold owners responsible for their wandering killer. By some estimates there are 200,000 strays in Auckland alone, which could easily produce 1 million unwanted kittens per year. Latest research suggests stray numbers are steadily increasing. Stray cats will normally form colonies around food sources such as rubbish tips and places where food scraps can be scavenged. Cats are prolific breeders so it doesn’t take long for a new colony to get established. Some 80% of these colonies are on private residential land. The response of the SPCA in some areas is to trap the cats, neuter them, and care for the colony. The locations of these colonies are a closely guarded secret, and the people looking after the colony are legally responsible for the welfare of the cats. The theory is that neutered cats will be unable to breed and the colony will naturally die out. In practice this rarely happens – cats are prolific breeders and more than 80% of wandering cats need to be neutered before the population will even stabilise. In the meantime wandering cats continue to exert an unsustainable toll on our native wildlife – birds, lizards and insects. We want your help to understand how big the stray and wandering cat problem is in our country. Is there a colony of cats near you? Where is it? Is someone looking after the colony? What condition are the cats in? In particular we want to know whether there are cat colonies near sensitive wildlife areas. The software we are using also allows you to sign up for updates and alerts if anyone reports a cat colony in your area. So if you know of wandering cats in your neighbourhood, be it in an SPCA-managed colony or not – let us know! Only if the public is well-informed can we expect a sufficient reaction to outlaw these nutty practices that the SPCA sponsors. New Zealand’s wildlife is far more important than the allowing cats to wander. A confined cat is a pet, the rest are pests. If you have any enquiries relating to the cat mapping app please contact shannon@morganfoundation.org.nz You can view the locations of cat colonies in New Zealand here Get involved and report roaming cats in your area Care about this issue? Get notified when cats are on the loose in your area

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]]> Screen Shot 2013-02-28 at 4.16.12 PMWe want YOU to keep an eye out for wandering cats and let us know if there are any cat colonies in your neighbourhood. You can also sign up for updates on cat colonies in your area.

The Government and most New Zealand Councils are too spineless to control cats. There are only a handful of areas with restrictions on numbers of cats or where they can wander. Surprise, surprise – as a result the numbers wandering around merrily killing things for pleasure continues to soar. The lack of cat registration, chipping and neutering makes it difficult to control strays, stop cats being dumped or hold owners responsible for their wandering killer.

By some estimates there are 200,000 strays in Auckland alone, which could easily produce 1 million unwanted kittens per year. Latest research suggests stray numbers are steadily increasing.

Stray cats will normally form colonies around food sources such as rubbish tips and places where food scraps can be scavenged. Cats are prolific breeders so it doesn’t take long for a new colony to get established. Some 80% of these colonies are on private residential land.

The response of the SPCA in some areas is to trap the cats, neuter them, and care for the colony. The locations of these colonies are a closely guarded secret, and the people looking after the colony are legally responsible for the welfare of the cats.

The theory is that neutered cats will be unable to breed and the colony will naturally die out. In practice this rarely happens – cats are prolific breeders and more than 80% of wandering cats need to be neutered before the population will even stabilise. In the meantime wandering cats continue to exert an unsustainable toll on our native wildlife – birds, lizards and insects.

We want your help to understand how big the stray and wandering cat problem is in our country. Is there a colony of cats near you? Where is it? Is someone looking after the colony? What condition are the cats in? In particular we want to know whether there are cat colonies near sensitive wildlife areas.

The software we are using also allows you to sign up for updates and alerts if anyone reports a cat colony in your area.

So if you know of wandering cats in your neighbourhood, be it in an SPCA-managed colony or not – let us know!

Only if the public is well-informed can we expect a sufficient reaction to outlaw these nutty practices that the SPCA sponsors. New Zealand’s wildlife is far more important than the allowing cats to wander. A confined cat is a pet, the rest are pests.

If you have any enquiries relating to the cat mapping app please contact shannon@morganfoundation.org.nz

You can view the locations of cat colonies in New Zealand here

Get involved and report roaming cats in your area

Report a cat colony now!

Care about this issue? Get notified when cats are on the loose in your area

Signup for alerts now

The post Calling all Cat Spotters – Let us know where cats are roaming appeared first on Cats To Go.

]]> http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/calling-all-cat-spotters/feed/ 51 Staging a pussy riot http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/staging-a-pussy-riot/ http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/staging-a-pussy-riot/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:29:17 +0000 Gareth Morgan http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/?p=434 Originally posted on the Dom post   Today’s blog is not a blog about cats per se. Instead, let’s focus on the corners we run to when the cat conversation comes up. What is it about the cat issue that polarises us all in New Zealand? This week the indefatigable Gareth Morgan wandered into tricky terrain with his “Cats to Go” campaign, calling for the New Zealand public to rethink their love affair with cats. Within hours, headlines screamed that Morgan was calling for “Cats to be wiped out”. Was he, though? Or was he prompting a long overdue conversation about how we have cats in this country? Gareth’s “Cats to go” campaign has sparked internet outrage, and some funny memes including this one fromJackson Wood. Sparking the conversation Having spent the better part of the past decade working in communications, I know from experience that trying to get the media to pick up an issue that you believe is important is a huge hurdle. More often than not,  my well-crafted press releases would disappear into the trash folder of countless journos’ computers. The key to getting your stuff in the media is having a “hook”, and generally that relates to something being really cute, really gross or really shocking. If Gareth had put out a press release that said “Hey guys, I’ve been thinking a lot about cats and their impact on native wildlife, and I know that they’re not the only predator, but what do you reckon about registering and neutering your cats?”, it wouldn’t have made the smallest community newspaper.  By going hard-out on the cat issue, he has (quite intentionally) started a conversation, a debate, a chance to deliberate just why we do have so many cats and why we have no controls over them. I don’t agree with everything Gareth has said, but I say the mere fact he has sparked a conversation (more of a shrieking wail from some corners) is a GOOD THING. (NB: This blog is about the debate, not the topic, but the Science Media Centre has an excellent  summary of scientists’ responses to the cat issue in New Zealand.) I have been outspoken about the need for us to question our love affair with cats since long before Gareth began his campaign, and I see nothing wrong with asking people not to replace their cat when it dies (especially if you live in or near amazing wildlife areas). In fact, on perusing his website, under the “What you can do” section, he says “We don’t suggest you knock your favourite furry friend on the head.”  The suggestions there are about thinking about not replacing your cat when it dies, getting it neutered, getting a bell and getting your local council to introduce registration of cats. The enormous “Pussy Riot” via traditional and social media that has ensued is inaccurate and, frankly, disturbing. Wayne Linklater over at the Science Media Centre, covers the issue well here. This is just one morning’s trap line at Macraes Flat in Otago in 2004. The cats (in addition to the stoats, ferrets, weasels, hedgehogs, rats, possums, magpies) were driving two seriously endangered species of giant skink (grand and Otago skinks) to extinction. Only intensive predator control has saved the skinks. (Photo: Nicola Toki) The gun control debate in drag The voracity with which the New Zealand cat-loving public have responded to the eminently reasonable suggestions that we should in fact regulate our cats has been, in my view, rather concerning. A mate of mine suggested that if you replaced the word “cat” with the word “gun”, this debate would be almost indistinguishable from the current gun control debate roaring along in the United States. It’s my RIGHT to have a cat! Let me just start by saying that when I was a kid, my best furry friend (when I was six) was an enormous black fluffy Persian once-stray cat called Fluffy. When we moved to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park we had to leave Fluffy behind. This was sad, but the reality of our situation of moving to a National Park. I still have a photo of me holding Fluffy (her feet touching the ground), with tears streaming down my face. But those were the rules. Why then, is the suggestion of rules around cats in urban/suburban areas such a big deal? Everybody loves their pets and many New Zealanders love cats (including my friend and colleague Nick over at Four Legs Good who had this to say). As I have mentioned many times, I grew up with cats, loved them to pieces, still even like some cats, but I choose not to have another one. I made a value judgment about cats and native wildlife (I have skinks living under my house) and decided I didn’t actually need one. People may well feel attached to their cats (my Mum has had her cat Sophie for 14 years now and loves her to pieces), and I do understand their benefits as companion animals, but with pet ownership comes responsibility. In Australia, cat owners are required to register their cats. This was actually lobbied for by their SPCA, in order to try to reduce the numbers of cats and unwanted kittens over there. As a dog-owner, I have a responsibility to pay to register my dog and ensure that he doesn’t wander on to other people’s properties. I do this gladly for the privilege of having him in my life.  It irks me that cat owners in New Zealand have no responsibility to register their cat and cats can wander wherever they want, with no consequences. A workmate told me this morning he found a cat nine kilometres from its owner’s house recently. The numbers game In addition to the lax regulations for felines, I could have two cats, 30 cats or more, with no restrictions around that.  Forty-eight per cent of all New Zealand households have at least one cat.  We now have the dubious honour of having the highest rate of cat ownership in the world. The question is, do we really need to have [...]

The post Staging a pussy riot appeared first on Cats To Go.

]]> Originally posted on the Dom post

 

Today’s blog is not a blog about cats per se. Instead, let’s focus on the corners we run to when the cat conversation comes up. What is it about the cat issue that polarises us all in New Zealand?

This week the indefatigable Gareth Morgan wandered into tricky terrain with his “Cats to Go” campaign, calling for the New Zealand public to rethink their love affair with cats.

Within hours, headlines screamed that Morgan was calling for “Cats to be wiped out”. Was he, though? Or was he prompting a long overdue conversation about how we have cats in this country?

Gareth Morgan cat moustache (credit: Jackson Wood)

Gareth’s “Cats to go” campaign has sparked internet outrage, and some funny memes including this one fromJackson Wood.

Sparking the conversation
Having spent the better part of the past decade working in communications, I know from experience that trying to get the media to pick up an issue that you believe is important is a huge hurdle. More often than not,  my well-crafted press releases would disappear into the trash folder of countless journos’ computers. The key to getting your stuff in the media is having a “hook”, and generally that relates to something being really cute, really gross or really shocking.

If Gareth had put out a press release that said “Hey guys, I’ve been thinking a lot about cats and their impact on native wildlife, and I know that they’re not the only predator, but what do you reckon about registering and neutering your cats?”, it wouldn’t have made the smallest community newspaper.  By going hard-out on the cat issue, he has (quite intentionally) started a conversation, a debate, a chance to deliberate just why we do have so many cats and why we have no controls over them. I don’t agree with everything Gareth has said, but I say the mere fact he has sparked a conversation (more of a shrieking wail from some corners) is a GOOD THING.

(NB: This blog is about the debate, not the topic, but the Science Media Centre has an excellent  summary of scientists’ responses to the cat issue in New Zealand.)

I have been outspoken about the need for us to question our love affair with cats since long before Gareth began his campaign, and I see nothing wrong with asking people not to replace their cat when it dies (especially if you live in or near amazing wildlife areas). In fact, on perusing his website, under the “What you can do” section, he says “We don’t suggest you knock your favourite furry friend on the head.”  The suggestions there are about thinking about not replacing your cat when it dies, getting it neutered, getting a bell and getting your local council to introduce registration of cats. The enormous “Pussy Riot” via traditional and social media that has ensued is inaccurate and, frankly, disturbing. Wayne Linklater over at the Science Media Centre, covers the issue well here.

Feral cats at Macraes Flat (photo: Nicola Toki)

This is just one morning’s trap line at Macraes Flat in Otago in 2004. The cats (in addition to the stoats, ferrets, weasels, hedgehogs, rats, possums, magpies) were driving two seriously endangered species of giant skink (grand and Otago skinks) to extinction. Only intensive predator control has saved the skinks. (Photo: Nicola Toki)

The gun control debate in drag
The voracity with which the New Zealand cat-loving public have responded to the eminently reasonable suggestions that we should in fact regulate our cats has been, in my view, rather concerning. A mate of mine suggested that if you replaced the word “cat” with the word “gun”, this debate would be almost indistinguishable from the current gun control debate roaring along in the United States.

It’s my RIGHT to have a cat!
Let me just start by saying that when I was a kid, my best furry friend (when I was six) was an enormous black fluffy Persian once-stray cat called Fluffy. When we moved to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park we had to leave Fluffy behind. This was sad, but the reality of our situation of moving to a National Park. I still have a photo of me holding Fluffy (her feet touching the ground), with tears streaming down my face. But those were the rules. Why then, is the suggestion of rules around cats in urban/suburban areas such a big deal?

Everybody loves their pets and many New Zealanders love cats (including my friend and colleague Nick over at Four Legs Good who had this to say). As I have mentioned many times, I grew up with cats, loved them to pieces, still even like some cats, but I choose not to have another one. I made a value judgment about cats and native wildlife (I have skinks living under my house) and decided I didn’t actually need one.

People may well feel attached to their cats (my Mum has had her cat Sophie for 14 years now and loves her to pieces), and I do understand their benefits as companion animals, but with pet ownership comes responsibility.

In Australia, cat owners are required to register their cats. This was actually lobbied for by their SPCA, in order to try to reduce the numbers of cats and unwanted kittens over there.

As a dog-owner, I have a responsibility to pay to register my dog and ensure that he doesn’t wander on to other people’s properties. I do this gladly for the privilege of having him in my life.  It irks me that cat owners in New Zealand have no responsibility to register their cat and cats can wander wherever they want, with no consequences. A workmate told me this morning he found a cat nine kilometres from its owner’s house recently.

The numbers game
In addition to the lax regulations for felines, I could have two cats, 30 cats or more, with no restrictions around that.  Forty-eight per cent of all New Zealand households have at least one cat.  We now have the dubious honour of having the highest rate of cat ownership in the world. The question is, do we really need to have so many?

Too many cats

A friend of mine said last night that her neighbour’s cat has just had another litter of kittens. This is not because he likes having kittens around or has lined up homes for them, just that he doesn’t care about getting his cat neutered.

With regard to neutering, in the mostly internet-based firestorm (what is that WEIRD correlation between the internet and cats!) that has ensued since Gareth launched his campaign, I have seen people saying that the government should pay to neuter cats. What!? Why should the government pay for this? If you choose to have a cat, you are also choosing to be a responsible pet owner, aren’t you? That includes the costs of feeding and housing and neutering and any other vet bills that come your way. You don’t just get to have a cat or many cats and not invest anything in that… that to me is the pinnacle of ignorance.

Here in New Zealand, with the highest number of threatened species per capita, we do have certain responsibilities to our natural heritage.

We know that cats are a serious predator of native wildlife in New Zealand. We have plenty of evidence of that, and we also know that cats have caused extinctions. I’ve already covered my stance on that here.

What about the other predators?
Since the launch of Cats-to-go, I have seen calls for campaigns for other predators that impact on our native wildlife. This has ranged from “Humans-to-go” to “Rich-men-telling-me-what-to-do-to-go”. There have been attacks on Gareth’s campaign for ignoring the “real” predators of rats and stoats etc. To me, this is distractionary.

Of course rats and stoats and possums are a major problem – it is for that reason that the then-minister of conservation, Kate Wilkinson, launched a two-day “Pest Summit” in Wellington in December. This summit was a meeting of the country’s best minds on predator control, to try to answer the question of how we step up our large-scale predator eradication in New Zealand, with an eventual aim of getting rid of all small mammalian predators and bringing our dawn chorus back to our cities, farms and forests.

As Sir Paul Callaghan said a year ago, such an idea is ”… crazy and ambitious, but I think it might be worth a shot.”

To be fair to Gareth, when it comes to stepping towards a Predator Free New Zealand, he has already put his money where his mouth is.  After visiting the Subantarctic Islands and being blown away by the wildlife to be found down there, he began his “Million Dollar Mouse” campaign, where he and his wife Jo will match dollar-for-dollar any contributions from the public to reach a million dollars in order to get mice off Antipodes Island.  He also went down to Stewart Island, hung out with the locals, and asked them whether they’d like to pursue a project to see what it would take to get cats, rats and possums off all 170,000 hectares. In that instance, he left it up to the community to decide if they wanted such a project to go ahead. Eighty-four per cent of respondents said yes.

But back to the cat debate. Good friends of mine have different views about how this conversation was started and words have been exchanged. One of my friends I would normally be exchanging words with has gone silent.  I maintain that while I don’t necessarily agree with everything Gareth has said, I do agree the time is long overdue for us as a country to be having the conversation about cats. To me, the mere fact that Campbell ran a storyfeaturing the tireless predator control work of volunteers in Ark in the Park, that we are starting to think about the consequences of predators (not just cats) on our native birds, in a country where a quick look at “most popular stories” on the Stuff website is enough to make you cry – all of this is a step in the right direction.

Kakapo killed by cat (photo: DOC)

Cats on Stewart Island almost sent the remaining kakapo there to extinction, before the last birds were removed to predator-free areas. 

What do you think? Why do we get so entrenched about cats? What do you see is the way forward here? Can we get away from all the finger-pointing and name-calling?

» Please feel free to email me to send me your questions, feedback, ideas or photographs for In Our Nature blog posts. You can also join the In Our Nature Facebook page.

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]]> http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/staging-a-pussy-riot/feed/ 5 Questions from Karori cat meeting http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/questions-from-karori-cat-meeting/ http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/questions-from-karori-cat-meeting/#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2013 23:01:58 +0000 Gareth Morgan http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/?p=377 Time did not allow us to get to all the questions the other night from the Karori meeting, so we picked out the most relevant questions from the evening on the night. Here is all the questions which were submitted by the audience on the evening. Once cat are chipped they can easily be identified. If your cat is found to be roaming you would be alerted that your cat has been caught and in order to get it released you would need to pay a fine. This already happens with dogs here and with cats in many areas of Australia. Yes a broad reaching pest eradication approach would be the best. Luckily due to the fact that humans dislike rats and mice we can all get involved in the eradication of these pests. In fact we would do a better job of it than the cats. Might be a good idea, although this would also be a great opportunity for community involvement. Cats are a major factor preventing many of Zealandia’s native species from getting established. So from a conservation standpoint they are not the least of their worries. It is crazy that we are pouring money into Zealandia only to have that investment squandered by wandering cats. There is plenty of New Zealand based evidence on the site www.catstogo.org.nz, (please have a look) and a quite few other ones that aren’t. In summary: -        NZ wildlife has if anything been more affected by cats than elsewhere -        NZ data on kills by cats is in line with international averages -        Exactly what cats kill depends on location – cats kill what is around -        We know that in NZ cities cats alone kill birds faster than they breed -        Cats on the edge of wilderness areas can have huge wandering ranges – which is a big issue for NZ as we have so much wilderness even in our cities -        If cats aren’t killing native birds in an area, it’s because there aren’t any -        Collars & bells can help, but only a little bit Here are the references that aren’t on the site: Aguilar & Farnworth (2012) Stray cats in Auckland, New Zealand: Discovering geographic information for exploratory spatial analysis Aguilar & Farnworth (2013) Distribution characteristics of unmanaged cat colonies over a 20 year period in Auckland, New Zealand Galbreath, (2004) The tale of the lighthouse-keeper’s cat: Discovery and extinction of the Stephens Island wren (Traversia lyalli) Gillies & Clout (2003) The prey of domestic cats (Felis catus)intwo suburbs of Auckland City, New Zealand Jones (2008) An Assessment of the Potential Threats to Indigenous Biodiversity Posed by Cats (Felis catus) in Urban Environments Morgan et al (2009) Urban cat (Felis catus) movement and predation activity associated with a wetland reserve in New Zealand Powlesland et al (1995) Number, fate and distribution of kakapo found on Stewart Island, New Zealand 1979-92 If you are looking for research specifically on the SPCA’s policy of TNR, there isn’t any in the NZ context. Given that cats cause more problems to our native wildlife than overseas, and TNR hasn’t worked overseas, I would suggest the burden of proof is on SPCA to prove it works before rolling it out across the country (as they have already done). The only result we have which is remotely linked to TNR in NZ is from Auckland. Stray cat numbers have been on the rise over time, and TNR doesn’t appear to have made an impact on that. The paper is Aguilar & Farnworth (2013). And even if you believe TNR works here when it doesn’t overseas, those wandering cats will still kill while they are alive. We are left with a purely cat vs native bird right to life issue. Again I would suggest if we aren’t talking about a companion pet, then the native fauna should take precedence. A cat can roam up to 69 hectares. This is less common in cities because they get into fights with other cats, so wander less far. Sure can. Of course we care about those guys. They contribute a lot to our biodiversity and the latest evidence suggests they are more vulnerable to cats than we ever thought, because cats are more likely to eat them, so they don’t turn up in the statistics on cat carnage. Yes – cats, particularly strays and ferals do carry some nasty diseases. We haven’t focused on these too much for two reasons. First, we are focused on conservation. Second, the science on this stuff is pretty new, so it is not quite as settled as the impact of cats on our wildlife. Yes we gave them time on the night. This sounds like the pro-cat lobby wants us to do their work for them! Sure, cats add to GDP (so did the Christchurch earthquake), but anyone who thinks this is high end added value stuff is a pretty misguided soul. We are arguing that a pest free New Zealand would generate much higher returns in terms of tourism and immigration of talented people. The economic case for pest eradication was kicked off by Sir Paul Callaghan who wanted to make New Zealand a place where talent wants to live and visit. I am working on hard numbers now myself, and good research takes time! However, the case is pretty self-evident. People travel around the world to see rare native birds, whereas cats are everywhere. You can see a real estate premium around the Karori wildlife sanctuary in Wellington and we are seeing increasing numbers of neighbourhoods with cat-free covenants as people chase this economic dividend. I am not aware of any real estate benefits from being around SPCA sponsored cat colonies. As discussed, we are suggesting the same answer as happens with dogs. If a cat is found wandering, people either have to pay a fine or not get it back. If a cat is not registered, it is unlikely people will get it back. That is a business decision [...]

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]]> Time did not allow us to get to all the questions the other night from the Karori meeting, so we picked out the most relevant questions from the evening on the night. Here is all the questions which were submitted by the audience on the evening.

question1

Once cat are chipped they can easily be identified. If your cat is found to be roaming you would be alerted that your cat has been caught and in order to get it released you would need to pay a fine. This already happens with dogs here and with cats in many areas of Australia.

question2

Yes a broad reaching pest eradication approach would be the best. Luckily due to the fact that humans dislike rats and mice we can all get involved in the eradication of these pests. In fact we would do a better job of it than the cats.

question3

Might be a good idea, although this would also be a great opportunity for community involvement.

question4

Cats are a major factor preventing many of Zealandia’s native species from getting established. So from a conservation standpoint they are not the least of their worries. It is crazy that we are pouring money into Zealandia only to have that investment squandered by wandering cats.

question6

There is plenty of New Zealand based evidence on the site www.catstogo.org.nz, (please have a look) and a quite few other ones that aren’t.

In summary:

-        NZ wildlife has if anything been more affected by cats than elsewhere

-        NZ data on kills by cats is in line with international averages

-        Exactly what cats kill depends on location – cats kill what is around

-        We know that in NZ cities cats alone kill birds faster than they breed

-        Cats on the edge of wilderness areas can have huge wandering ranges – which is a big issue for NZ as we have so much wilderness even in our cities

-        If cats aren’t killing native birds in an area, it’s because there aren’t any

-        Collars & bells can help, but only a little bit

Here are the references that aren’t on the site:

Aguilar & Farnworth (2012) Stray cats in Auckland, New Zealand: Discovering geographic information for exploratory spatial analysis

Aguilar & Farnworth (2013) Distribution characteristics of unmanaged cat colonies over a 20 year period in Auckland, New Zealand

Galbreath, (2004) The tale of the lighthouse-keeper’s cat: Discovery and extinction of the Stephens Island wren (Traversia lyalli)

Gillies & Clout (2003) The prey of domestic cats (Felis catus)intwo suburbs of Auckland City, New Zealand

Jones (2008) An Assessment of the Potential Threats to Indigenous Biodiversity Posed by Cats (Felis catus) in Urban Environments

Morgan et al (2009) Urban cat (Felis catus) movement and predation activity associated with a wetland reserve in New Zealand

Powlesland et al (1995) Number, fate and distribution of kakapo found on Stewart Island, New Zealand 1979-92

If you are looking for research specifically on the SPCA’s policy of TNR, there isn’t any in the NZ context. Given that cats cause more problems to our native wildlife than overseas, and TNR hasn’t worked overseas, I would suggest the burden of proof is on SPCA to prove it works before rolling it out across the country (as they have already done).

The only result we have which is remotely linked to TNR in NZ is from Auckland. Stray cat numbers have been on the rise over time, and TNR doesn’t appear to have made an impact on that. The paper is Aguilar & Farnworth (2013).

And even if you believe TNR works here when it doesn’t overseas, those wandering cats will still kill while they are alive. We are left with a purely cat vs native bird right to life issue. Again I would suggest if we aren’t talking about a companion pet, then the native fauna should take precedence.

question7

A cat can roam up to 69 hectares. This is less common in cities because they get into fights with other cats, so wander less far.

missedpic

Sure can. Of course we care about those guys. They contribute a lot to our biodiversity and the latest evidence suggests they are more vulnerable to cats than we ever thought, because cats are more likely to eat them, so they don’t turn up in the statistics on cat carnage.

question9

Yes – cats, particularly strays and ferals do carry some nasty diseases. We haven’t focused on these too much for two reasons. First, we are focused on conservation. Second, the science on this stuff is pretty new, so it is not quite as settled as the impact of cats on our wildlife.

question10

Yes we gave them time on the night.

question11

This sounds like the pro-cat lobby wants us to do their work for them! Sure, cats add to GDP (so did the Christchurch earthquake), but anyone who thinks this is high end added value stuff is a pretty misguided soul.

We are arguing that a pest free New Zealand would generate much higher returns in terms of tourism and immigration of talented people. The economic case for pest eradication was kicked off by Sir Paul Callaghan who wanted to make New Zealand a place where talent wants to live and visit. I am working on hard numbers now myself, and good research takes time! However, the case is pretty self-evident. People travel around the world to see rare native birds, whereas cats are everywhere. You can see a real estate premium around the Karori wildlife sanctuary in Wellington and we are seeing increasing numbers of neighbourhoods with cat-free covenants as people chase this economic dividend. I am not aware of any real estate benefits from being around SPCA sponsored cat colonies.

question12

As discussed, we are suggesting the same answer as happens with dogs. If a cat is found wandering, people either have to pay a fine or not get it back. If a cat is not registered, it is unlikely people will get it back.

question13

That is a business decision for them.

question15

We know that cats are more likely to kill adult birds, whereas rats kill eggs. As discussed elsewhere ultimately we need to control both, and we need to do a better job than cats do for us! Evidence suggests that food is what limits rodent populations, not cats. For birds the picture is quite different.

question16

See above.

Question17

No idea. I think subsidizing pet ownership is wrong. If you can not afford to keep your pet in a responsible fashion then perhaps you should not own one.

question18

The first three questions were nothing to do with the topic of conversation on the night – Zealandia and Karori cats. That is why they were not answered on the night, and why I won’t answer them now.

A proper integrated pest eradication strategy is simple. The Council already controls other pests on their land, and if they step up and manage pests it would be straightforward for residents to work together with the Council to manage all pests in the area around Zealandia.

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]]> http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/questions-from-karori-cat-meeting/feed/ 0 Morgan Switches $5 Bounty Offer to SPCA to a Zealandia Fund to trap Cats http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/morgan-switches-5-bounty-offer-to-spca-to-a-zealandia-fund-to-trap-cats/ http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/morgan-switches-5-bounty-offer-to-spca-to-a-zealandia-fund-to-trap-cats/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:52:36 +0000 Gareth Morgan http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/?p=357 I was concerned to read this morning that Wellington SPCA Board members are apparently “stressed” because I have named them as those responsible for supporting stray cats that murder wildlife around Wellington. In the business and charity world we have Boards, these are the people responsible for leading organisations, making the high level decisions and being accountable to stakeholders. That is what Boards do, so being named and asked to explain should always be what Board members expect. I trust the Wellington SPCA Board members will now examine their conscious’s. Anyone who sets out on a programme that has a consequence, the slaughter of NZ wildlife can expect to be named and shamed. It is just totally unacceptable. I suspect these people just haven’t thought about the consequences of taking the public’s donations to the SPCA and spending around $80 per cat to neuter strays and release them. I bet New Zealanders don’t know that when they put coins in the SPCA tins during street collections this is where it’s ending up. These local Board members, starting with their Chair Teresa Gatting, need to come out and explain to the people of Wellington why they’re quite happy to support stray cats that we know are murdering the birdlife that we are all investing in Zealandia to nurture. Frankly they need to back down, cease and desist from this barbaric practice. And until they do I will continue to require them to personally front up and justify their actions. We already have some SPCAs around the country coming out and saying publicly that in their view the actions of the Wellington SPCA are unacceptable and a breach of the Animal Welfare Act. My concern isn’t the law so much as it is the simple morality of their decision to sacrifice New Zealand’s native fauna in some misguided attempt to “save lives” of stray cats. Because of this intransigence and refusal to reverse their policy of supporting stray cats I have withdrawn the $5 bounty per cat euthanized by the SPCA and instead will offer to Zealandia funding to rent cat traps to the people of Karori so we can enhance the halo around this very special ecological initiative. All proceeds will go to Zealandia. I invite the people of Wellington to contact directly the following Wellington SPCA Board members (as published in the 2012 Wellington SPCA Annual Report) to demand they cease and desist their Trap, Neuter, Release policy with wandering cats. ·         Teresa Gatting (Chair) - info@theresagattung.com ·         Bice Awan - ce@skylight-trust.org.nz ·         Emanuel Kalafatelis - emanuel@researchnz.com ·         Margaret Doucas - mdoucas@henryhughes.co.nz ·         Julie Hood - Julie.Hood@vets.org.nz ·         Carolyn Press Mckenzie - jimmac@xtra.co.nz ·         Barbara Gordon ·         Paul Crafar ·         Charlotte Fisher

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]]> MF wanted poster jpgI was concerned to read this morning that Wellington SPCA Board members are apparently “stressed” because I have named them as those responsible for supporting stray cats that murder wildlife around Wellington. In the business and charity world we have Boards, these are the people responsible for leading organisations, making the high level decisions and being accountable to stakeholders. That is what Boards do, so being named and asked to explain should always be what Board members expect.

I trust the Wellington SPCA Board members will now examine their conscious’s. Anyone who sets out on a programme that has a consequence, the slaughter of NZ wildlife can expect to be named and shamed. It is just totally unacceptable. I suspect these people just haven’t thought about the consequences of taking the public’s donations to the SPCA and spending around $80 per cat to neuter strays and release them. I bet New Zealanders don’t know that when they put coins in the SPCA tins during street collections this is where it’s ending up.

These local Board members, starting with their Chair Teresa Gatting, need to come out and explain to the people of Wellington why they’re quite happy to support stray cats that we know are murdering the birdlife that we are all investing in Zealandia to nurture. Frankly they need to back down, cease and desist from this barbaric practice. And until they do I will continue to require them to personally front up and justify their actions. We already have some SPCAs around the country coming out and saying publicly that in their view the actions of the Wellington SPCA are unacceptable and a breach of the Animal Welfare Act. My concern isn’t the law so much as it is the simple morality of their decision to sacrifice New Zealand’s native fauna in some misguided attempt to “save lives” of stray cats.

Because of this intransigence and refusal to reverse their policy of supporting stray cats I have withdrawn the $5 bounty per cat euthanized by the SPCA and instead will offer to Zealandia funding to rent cat traps to the people of Karori so we can enhance the halo around this very special ecological initiative. All proceeds will go to Zealandia.

I invite the people of Wellington to contact directly the following Wellington SPCA Board members (as published in the 2012 Wellington SPCA Annual Report) to demand they cease and desist their Trap, Neuter, Release policy with wandering cats.

·         Teresa Gatting (Chair) - info@theresagattung.com

·         Bice Awan - ce@skylight-trust.org.nz

·         Emanuel Kalafatelis - emanuel@researchnz.com

·         Margaret Doucas - mdoucas@henryhughes.co.nz

·         Julie Hood - Julie.Hood@vets.org.nz

·         Carolyn Press Mckenzie - jimmac@xtra.co.nz

·         Barbara Gordon

·         Paul Crafar

·         Charlotte Fisher

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]]> http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/morgan-switches-5-bounty-offer-to-spca-to-a-zealandia-fund-to-trap-cats/feed/ 45 Karori meets about cat-free proposal – TV3 news http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/karori-meets-about-cat-free-proposal-tv3-news/ http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/karori-meets-about-cat-free-proposal-tv3-news/#comments Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:34:32 +0000 Gareth Morgan http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/?p=373 The good people of Karori in Wellington are being asked to make a fundamental change in their lives. http://www.3news.co.nz/Karori-meets-about-cat-free-proposal/tabid/367/articleID/287544/Default.aspx

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]]> The good people of Karori in Wellington are being asked to make a fundamental change in their lives. http://www.3news.co.nz/Karori-meets-about-cat-free-proposal/tabid/367/articleID/287544/Default.aspx

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]]> http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/karori-meets-about-cat-free-proposal-tv3-news/feed/ 0