close
close
  • February 18, 2025
Region-wide cat control a ‘gain for biodiversity’

Region-wide cat control a ‘gain for biodiversity’

Pet cats in Nelson Tasman must be microchipped, registered and desexed.

Domestic cats in the Nelson Tasman region must be microchipped, registered and desexed.
Photo: Nelson Weekly/Kate Russell

New rules for cats in the Nelson Tasman region have been updated after Nelson City Council approved a set of new rules last week.

Nelson’s cat management regulations come into effect from December 19.

From that date, all new cats over four months old must be microchipped, desexed and registered on the New Zealand Companion Animal Register.

Existing cats do not have to comply with the rules until the end of the 18-month transition period on June 1, 2026.

Microchips can be used to identify a cat’s owner at the veterinary clinic where the cat is registered.

By adding the microchip to the national registry, the cat can be identified by any veterinarian or licensed agent, such as an SPCA branch.

Identification, in addition to keeping pets and owners together, will protect domestic cats from recently expanded feral cat trapping measures being undertaken across the region.

It is hoped that the fumigation requirement will limit the number of unwanted cats in the city by reducing the number of unplanned litters.

A cat is exempt from the desexing requirement if it is kept for breeding purposes and is registered with a nationally recognized cat breeding organization, or if it has been issued a certificate from a registered veterinarian stating that desexing would adversely affect its health or welfare .

Enforcement of the rules is expected to be light, with Nelson councilor Matty Anderson emphasizing there would be no “cat police” and that the bylaws were more like “friendly guidance”.

Nelson’s bylaw is almost identical to Tasman’s, which was passed in late November and instead limits requirements to cats for six months instead of four, coming into effect two weeks later on January 1.

The two bylaws will work in conjunction with the region’s joint pest management plan, which was recently updated to include feral cats.

Mayor Nick Smith said the new bylaws were “quite exciting”.

As a former conservation minister, he recalled that previous cabinet discussions on cat management had raised concerns about public resistance to control measures.

“It is a true tribute to the advocacy and increased public awareness of the damage cats cause, especially to our native birds, that allowed us to pass this ordinance.”

He said “literally millions” of native birds are killed by feral cats every year and the new bylaws balance the damage and nuisance caused by cats with “reasonable” regulations.

Councilor Rachel Sanson said the coordinated approach with Tasman was “great” and would help manage the “negative impact” of all cats in the region.

She said council had been slow to act due to the lack of government leadership on the issue, “but in Nelson Tasman we have finally taken that step.”

Councilor Rachel Sanson said the region is taking an important step in the absence of national guidance.

Rachel Sanson said the region is taking an important step in the absence of national guidance.
Photo: Max Fredey

Deputy Mayor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens said the new rules would bring cats on a par with other animals, such as poultry, livestock and dogs, which are already regulated.

“They can, as any good cat lover knows, be minor threats. That’s why we need appropriate control measures.”

They describe the statutes as a “common sense win for biodiversity.”

“It’s a win for our cats, and ultimately a win for our entire community.”

Councilor Matthew Benge said the bylaw was a “very necessary step” but felt it should go further to ensure all cats that were not microchipped and desexed were declared feral.

He was concerned about the effects of toxoplasmosis – a “terrible” disease transmitted by cats to other mammals – and the predation of wildlife caused by feral cats.

“In some ways we haven’t gone far enough with this… Hopefully we can take a step forward in getting rid of our feral cats.”

Councilor Tim Skinner acknowledged the benefits of microchips, but said the council should not make the measure mandatory. He was the only council member to vote against the bylaws.

Nelson and Tasman’s bylaws and their pest management plan will all be reviewed in five years.

LDR is local journalism, co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.