ARRC director and veterinarian Dr Liza Schneider says Tauranga's cat problem was an ongoing issue and it was looking for a home for Nacho, who was found abandoned. Photo / Andrew Warner
ARRC director and veterinarian Dr Liza Schneider says Tauranga's cat problem was an ongoing issue and it was looking for a home for Nacho, who was found abandoned. Photo / Andrew Warner
Community urged to step up and help control ongoing problem.
Calls are being renewed to desex and microchip cats as funding to remove strays dries up.
ARRC director and veterinarian Dr Liza Schneider said it had removed 1200 stray/unowned cats from Tauranga's streets over the past three years but that was no longer sustainable because of limited funding.
Tauranga CityCouncil used to give the organisation $3000 per year but that had now been pulled.
Tauranga's problem was ongoing, she said, and was "a community issue and we all need to step up and play our part in helping to address this".
It believed in the sustainable approach and supported de-sexing, identification with a collar or microchip and ideally confined and not allowed to roam in a wildlife protected zone, she said.
"If cats are unowned they should either be rehomed to a responsible home, but especially if their health is ailing or their behaviour is wild or feral they are generally better off being humanely euthanased."
SPCA Tauranga animal welfare inspector Anna Porteous said the issue of stray or unowned cats was a nationwide one.
Volunteers Pamela McLaren, 70+ left and Jenny Gelissen, 60. Photo/George Novak
They were not usually a welfare problem unless disease spreads through the population, or the food source became scarce and the cats could no longer find enough to sustain themselves.
"Any cat that is sick or injured will automatically be accepted into the care of the SPCA.
"For the most part however, these stray or unowned cats fend for themselves just fine, and the majority of problems they cause are ones of public nuisance."
The Tauranga City Council said it had responded to five complaints about cat colonies since July 1, 2015.
A spokesperson said each case was investigated and dealt with depending on the situation.
The council could help if a colony of more than three cats had established itself on someone's private property but if it was on a commercial business it was up to the owner to manage the animals, he said.
Feral cats were a restricted pest under the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, however senior biosecurity officer Shane Grayling said it could only encourage landowners to control them — although they were a threat to wildlife and caused a health risk by transferring disease.
However, first people had to be confident they could tell the difference between "a true feral cat and a domestic cat", and the council suggested using live capture traps, he said.
"All live traps set must be checked and any captured animals humanely disposed of or released within 12 hours of sunrise."
Kill traps and toxins were also available although the council recommended they only be used by experienced operators, he said.
Later this year the regional council would be seeking feedback from the public when it reviewed its pest management plan but said it did not have the power to enforce feral cat control.
It had received numerous complaints about stray or unowned cats but not feral cats, he said.
A Western Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokeswoman said the council's animal services included dogs and livestock not cats.
On the very rare occasion it might get a complaint about a stray cat but those were diverted to other organisations, she said.
