Cats were introduced to New Zealand at the end of the 19th century
As noted in a publication by "Russkaya Germaniya", the decision proposed by the regional council is intended to protect endangered species. The new ban stipulates that all cats in New Zealand will be registered, sterilized, and fitted with a special chip, and after the death of their pet, owners will not be allowed to get a new one. If a cat is spotted "in an ecologically significant area" without a microchip, the animal will be immediately euthanized, without searching for or notifying the owner.
The authorities decided to take such harsh and cruel measures because cats, artificially introduced to New Zealand, finding themselves in ideal conditions without natural enemies, began to easily destroy birds and other island inhabitants, threatening them with extinction. In addition to cats, stoats, possums, and rats also pose a threat to New Zealand's unique fauna.
Gareth Morgan, a popular economist and parliamentary candidate in New Zealand, has long been proposing to get rid of cats as a way to protect local species, since 2016. In his calls for a ban, Gareth Morgan even called fluffy purrs "born killers."
As John Collins, a representative of the environmental organization Omaui, explains, "they don't hate cats"; the ban is a necessary measure because cats catch and destroy rare species of New Zealand birds. "We are for responsible pet ownership. Cats definitely have no place here," he emphasized. Collins also noted that unique reptiles and insects also suffer from domestic predators.
According to data cited by the New Zealand government, cats and other "dangerous pests" kill about 25 million local birds annually. Some of them, such as the kiwi bird, which is an unofficial symbol of New Zealand, are currently on the brink of extinction. According to local authorities, up to 20 rare birds die each week.
Young kiwis are indeed almost completely defenseless even against small predators, which is why they often become easy prey. Three species of kiwi – the common, great spotted, and little spotted – are listed in the international Red Book as vulnerable, and the North Island brown kiwi as endangered. Another species of kiwi, the rowi, has a nationally critical status.
Discussion of the new cat ban initiative will continue until the end of October this year. However, many already disapprove of such an unusual and not at all humane plan to save local animals. Owners of fluffy pets are extremely outraged. Some of them cannot imagine their lives without domestic purring pets and their warmth.
A resident of the town of Omaui said that the idea of a cat ban shocked her. The woman even signed a petition against this plan. According to her, her three cats are the only salvation from rodents. "If I can't have a cat, I won't feel comfortable living in my house," complained the outraged New Zealand resident.
However, the likelihood of the new program being approved is high: New Zealand has recently set a course to eradicate invasive animal species, which include domestic cats. The proposed initiative is only part of a larger plan to rid the country of artificially introduced predators by 2050. This plan also includes the destruction of rats, stoats, and possums, which will be intensively combated using both traditional methods (e.g., pesticides or shooting) and new technologies ("smart traps").
According to local officials, this project to save local species of animals and birds will be one of the main ones in the field of protecting the country's unique nature. The initial amount allocated to the program's budget in 2016 was $28 million. However, later experts estimated that the total cost of ridding the country of "harmful" animals could reach $9 billion.
New Zealand is not the only country where they have started to fight cats. Earlier, the Australian government decided on even harsher measures – the destruction of two million stray cats – to stop the "genocide of rare species." Over the past two centuries, the country has lost 29 unique species. In their defense, the authorities noted that only the most humane methods of euthanizing stray predators were used – such as poison, after which the animal painlessly falls into a deadly sleep. The luckier cats were sterilized and then relocated to a specially designated area.
The situation in New Zealand is indeed difficult. The idea of the ban's supporters that artificially introduced cats are dangerous to other animals and birds is quite understandable. It was probably irresponsible to introduce cats alien to New Zealand's ecosystem into the country, but as wise people say, "Having made a mistake, have the courage not to correct it."