Published: 9 October 2023
We love our feline friends, but there’s no denying the harm they cause to wildlife and the growing feral cat numbers across Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt.
To reduce the number of unwanted cats and their effect on native birds and wildlife, Hutt City Council is proposing amendments to the Control of Animals Bylaw to include a section on the Keeping of Cats.
The key proposals are:
- Mandatory microchipping of cats
- Mandatory registration of microchipped cats on the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR)
- Mandatory desexing of cats
These changes would help to reduce feral cat populations and make it easier to reunite lost cats with their people. Desexing also has welfare benefits for the desexed animal such as being less aggressive and less prone to urine and scent marking behaviour.
Council has received support from the SPCA, local cat rescue organisations and Hutt City Council’s Animal Control Team in developing the proposed amendments and now we’re keen to hear from the community.
More information, FAQs and a survey form are available at hutt.city/cats.
Submissions on these proposals are open until 5pm on 6 November 2023.