.
Dr Helen Beattie, managing director for Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa says that “at home” doesn’t have to mean keeping your cat locked inside.
“If you have a cat that’s used to being outside and if you then just shut the door on it, that’s not really a fair outcome for the cat.”
Instead, creating an outdoor space that provides stimulation for the cat, while keeping it contained is ideal.
Dr Helen Beattie graduated in 1998 from Massey University School of Veterinary Science.
Supplied
Some options include fences with roller tops or angled mesh tops, catios, balcony-only access, providing supervised outdoor time, or walking the cat with a harness or leash.
The case for a catio
For Whangārei woman Leeann Keith, a catio was an easy decision after two roaming dogs mauled her beloved cat to death several years ago.
With feral, unfixed cats also roaming her section, plus local birdlife that she wanted to protect, Keith decided a catio was her best option.
She and her husband designed and built a fully enclosed, 21-square-foot structure with her cats’ welfare – not just containment – in mind.
It’s a luxury apartment in the cat world; multiple levels and platforms, tunnels, ramps, climbing structures, scratching posts, numerous sleeping areas, a “cat garden” with catmint and other appealing plants, plus cameras to monitor them when she’s out.
The $230,000 catio – a pretty rad pad for Titan and Oliver.
Supplied
“It just brings me such a great sense of peace knowing that they’re okay. During the day at work, I can check in on them and see what’s going on.”
A catio for British Blues, Titan and Oliver was worth the hefty price tag – but she’s aware a catio is not for everyone.
“I was lucky in that my husband built the enclosure for me, so from a labour intensive position, it didn’t cost me anything to get it built for labour. In terms of materials and through down to the cameras, I probably spent $23,000 on purchasing everything for it.”
Whangārei woman Leeann Keith built a pretty lush catio for her pets.
Supplied
Other mitigation tools
Although bells have long been considered a basic requirement for cats, Morgan is sceptical of their efficacy.
“Some cats learn how to stalk birds without making their bell ring… they’re not actually as effective as we probably once thought they were in terms of preventing hunting. Plus it mainly warns birds but not other species, like wētā and lizards.”
Other owners are now turning to colourful fabric ruffs, which while possibly humiliating for the cat, are more effective as birds’ eyesight is very attuned to bright colours.
For Pascale, a cat owner in Nelson, a fabric ruff was a game changer.
“Our cats Ren and Stimpy were lethal… they were killing a couple of birds a week, it was awful.
“We got them a cat scrunchie each, and it’s crazy, but since then they haven’t brought home a single bird. Now they just bring us dead rats and mice.”
Stimpy in his brightly coloured cat collar to protect local wildlife.
Supplied
However Morgan is still cautious; she says owners never have a full picture of what cats are preying on.
“In the cat stats, a lot of research shows that cats bring home less than 25 percent of what they kill,” she says.
Should I keep my cat inside overnight?
While there has long been messaging that cats should at least be inside at night time, Morgan says that originated from Australian research, which looked at protecting nocturnal marsupials and native rodents which are more vulnerable at night.
Predator Free NZ Trust chief executive Jessi Morgan.
PredatorFree NZ
In terms of protecting birdlife, there is no risk-free time for cats to be outside, she says.
“But I have heard some scientists say to keep them in as long as you can in the morning and bring them in as early as you can in the evening, because we have a lot of lizards that are quite vulnerable in that dawn and dusk period,” she says.
Can we have happy birds and happy cats?
Making choices that protect our native wildlife also benefits domestic cats, explains Morgan.
Cats live longer and healthier lives if they’re contained as they’ll be less at risk of getting lost, injured in cat fights or being hit by a car, plus your vet fees will be lower, she says.
However experts are unanimous that transitioning to containing cats has to be carefully done.
“We have to be fair to cats and their welfare as we transition to a different relationship with cats, which will be long-term and intergenerational, much in the same way as it has been with how we manage our dogs over the last 40 or 50 years,” says Beattie.
One suggestion from Morgan is grandfathering in change; she points to Canberra which recently introduced a law requiring all cats born after 1 July 2022 to be contained on their property at all times, while cats born before that date can continue to roam.
And finally, Beattie says any changes would need to be mindful of the costs involved, as no one wants cat ownership to be only accessible to the wealthy.
“We know animals bring huge value to people’s lives and provide important companionship.”
