Auckland Council recently surveyed Aucklanders about control of domestic cats in preparation for the next Regional Pest Management Plan, which sets the rules about how to manage plant and animal pests.

The results were heartening, with widespread support for greater control of cats.

73% of respondents supporting desexing cats in the whole of Auckland (14% No), and 86% within 1 km of known threatened species habitat (5% No).

80% of respondents supported microchipping and registering cats in the whole of Auckland (12% No) and 86% near threatened species (6% No).

57% agreed cats should be contained on their owner’s property (26% No) and 67% where it was near threatened species.

With this degree of support we should expect to see tougher rules about cat ownership in the next RPMP. This does not apply to feral cats or colony cats for which tougher rules can be expected. It is also to be hoped that cumbersome rules regarding notifying communities when cat control is being done on parkland are eased. Currently even when it is live cage catching, a month’s notice must be given.

Although the survey asked about rules for islands – Waiheke etc – it did not ask about Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area which the law states is of national significance. This is a gap the Council needs to fill as the Area contains the largest area of protected indigenous forest in the Auckland Region.