Precious Paws Paradise concerned about cat dumping in Whanganui

Mary Lou Nation said making desexing free would solve a lot of the town's feline issues. Photo / Bevan Conley

Stray, abandoned and dumped cats continue to be an issue in Whanganui and it doesn't seem to be getting any better, says a cat rescue.

Mary Lou Nation from Precious Paws Paradise has been taking in stray and abandoned cats since October 2014, desexing them and offering them up for adoption.

She said stray and abandoned cats have been an issue in Whanganui "forever" and suggested the best way forward may be for subsidised desexing.

Nation said people were dumping because they couldn't afford to desex and didn't want to take responsibility for the cats.

"So many farmers have contacted me about dumped cats and kittens," she said.

She has around 40 kittens at her home, taking most to a rescue in Wellington as she can not house and feed all the ones that come through her doors.

"I am an unregistered charity. I have a small handful of people that support me with donations, otherwise the rest is coming out of my pocket."

Nation said she has had regular calls from the people over the past 12 months, who have said they had been given her number by SPCA.

"Three days before lockdown, I had that many people calling me. Obviously they were panicking as we were going out to the lockdown. What am I going to do? Say no?"

SPCA Whanganui Centre has more than 150 animals in its care but didn't respond to questions about whether it had referred people to Precious Paws Paradise.

Compliance operations manager Warrick Zander. Photo / Stuart Munro

Whanganui District Council compliance operations manager Warrick Zander said the council had a small number of live-capture cage traps available for residents to borrow and can advise how to use the traps.

"In the case of stray or nuisance cats, Whanganui District Council advises any complainant to trap the cat with a live-capture cage trap and, after making sure it is not a wandering domestic cat, take it to a vet to be spayed/neutered, microchipped and released, or euthanised."

Zander said the review of the Keeping of Animals, Poultry and Bees bylaw last year meant "no one will be able to keep more than three cats over the age of 3 months on premises within the Whanganui urban area".

"Also from this date, any cat older than 4 months must be microchipped and registered with the New Zealand Companion Animal Register and be desexed, with exceptions for cat breeders and animal welfare reasons."

Nation thinks the bylaw is a good idea but people needed to comply.

"This is not a cat problem. It is the cause of irresponsible people."