Editorial: Loss of feral cat project a worry

Feral cats are a major problem throughout New Zealand. Photo / Christine McKay

Feral cats are a major problem throughout New Zealand.

They kill birds, many of which are native and already endangered.

As is the problem with rats and possums, there are few predators large enough to keep them in check.

Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (ARRC) Wildlife Trust has been doing a great job of desexing and re-homing or euthanising some of the thousands of feral cats living in Tauranga.

Sadly the organisation has shifted its focus to Rotorua due to a lack of funding here.

As reported this week, the project had cost $120,000 per year to operate in Tauranga. In the three years the project operated in the city, Holistic Vets, of which Dr Liza Schneider is the director, paid $30,000 per year and Tauranga City Council contributed $3000 per year.

In the Tauranga City Council Long Term Plan deliberations this year, ARRC's request for funding of $35,000 per year to support the community cat project was rejected.

I think that decision was a big mistake.

Both the Rotorua Lakes Council and the Rotorua SPCA jumped at the opportunity to support the operation in their neck of the woods.

Their gain has become our loss - all because a charitable organisation could not get the funding to continue.

In the last three years the project has taken 1200 cats off the streets of Tauranga.

There is no other way to deal with the issue of feral cats. As long as there are feral cats living in Tauranga they will continue to breed, meaning all the hard work done by ARRC will be eventually undone.

It's a shame to see that work wasted because the council refused to contribute less than a third of the cost of the scheme.

That said, the decision has been made.

We need to do our part to stop the problem from becoming even larger.

If you have cats be a responsible pet owner and have them de-sexed.

If your cat has kittens, make sure you find them good homes.

Do not dump unwanted pets in parks where they will rely on birds for food and continue to breed.