Source: Radio New Zealand
Gareth Morgan. RNZ / Mark Papalii
New Zealand’s best-known opponent of letting cats wander where they please is thrilled the government has stopped “pussyfooting” around the issue.
Describing feral cats as “stone cold killers”, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka told RNZ on Thursday they would “join their buddies, stoats, ferrets, weasels – mustelids, rats and possums” on the official Predator Free 2050 hitlist.
“In order to boost biodiversity, to boost heritage landscape and to boost the type of place we want to see, we’ve got to get rid of some of these killers.”
The move comes two years after then-prime ministerial candidate Christopher Luxon promised they would be added, and 12 years after economist-turned politician Gareth Morgan controversially called for an end to all wandering cats – feral or domestic.
The ‘Cats to Go’ proposal was widely criticised at the time and was dismissed by many as being a bit extreme.
“The condemnation was absolutely universal,” Morgan told Morning Report on Friday.
“I went from, according to Reader’s Digest, the sixth-most trusted New Zealander that we had at the time because of my work on funds management, to the most-hated New Zealander, in a period of about six weeks – so it just showed you the intensity of the opposition.
“But I think people misunderstand the issue. The issue is not anti-cat. The issue is anti-wandering cats, and feral cats are a big part of that crime family.”
No one knows just how many feral cats there were in New Zealand. Estimates range from 2.5 million to 14 million.
Morgan said the government’s move was “better late than never”, but still did not go far enough.
“Cats wander to kill – they don’t wander for the exercise. So feral cats are just part of this greater crime family that’s out there killing New Zealand wildlife.
“Wandering cats are the issue. Feral cats are a subset of that. So the next step is to deal with domestic cats that are let out wandering.
“The only cat that should be protected is the cat in the lap, the one that you own, and the plea, I think, from rational people, is keep it to yourself.”
Morgan suggested previous prime ministers’ cat ownership – John Key’s Moonbeam and Jacinda Ardern’s ill-fated Paddles, for example – got in the way.
But he praised Key and the National-led government of the time for creating the predator-free goal in the first place, and for extending it to cover some cats.
“I think we can all be forgiven for being a bit ecstatic for achieving this step, even though it’s just one small step with respect to cats.”
He doubted however the hitlist would be extended to cover wandering domestic cats.
“Oh, no, it’ll be another 12 years of intensive lobbying because the opposition to this is entrenched.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
