Thread: Kiwi caught on CCTV in Broadmeadows Wellington

Straight back at yah @rewa that's a great, detailed and sobering report, thanks for putting a first hand experience into the otherwise emotive discussion.

As a by product of my rabbit culling business I send frozen rabbit pieces to Windy Hill Sanctuary on Great Barrier Island for catching feral cats. Their website says the have killed over 200 feral cats. I want youbtoo know that the good work which you and your mates were involved in, continues to this day. I'm very proud to be supporting Wild Hill Sanctuary ongoing environmental protection and suggest that other rabbit shooters could supply rabbit baits to other predator free conservation projects.

Last week I caught a massive male ferret by hanging a couple of whole, bloody rabbits inside an empty wire dog kennel with ring/circle of DOC200 traps under the rabbit. The ferret trigger three of them and got catch in two! Classic booby trap!

if we are to control cats it requires hard measures which will not be popular and in many towns likely ignored - all cats kept as pets neutered or sterilized - if allowed out a bell and dazzle collar -that way any cat out without a collar - fair game - if people want to get a cat then they get one from SPCA - no breeding allowed unless pedigree for shows as member of a cat club -- but as rewa alludes to they are well entrenched in our native - I have done survey trap lines way into Te Urewera Raukumara and cats and they are likely over what ?? 10-20 generations maybe more - we cannot afford to be precious - if we are to do something it needs to be effective

Originally Posted by Hugh Shields

Straight back at yah @rewa that's a great, detailed and sobering report, thanks for putting a first hand experience into the otherwise emotive discussion.

As a by product of my rabbit culling business I send frozen rabbit pieces to Windy Hill Sanctuary on Great Barrier Island for catching feral cats. Their website says the have killed over 200 feral cats. I want youbtoo know that the good work which you and your mates were involved in, continues to this day. I'm very proud to be supporting Wild Hill Sanctuary ongoing environmental protection and suggest that other rabbit shooters could supply rabbit baits to other predator free conservation projects.

Last week I caught a massive male ferret by hanging a couple of whole, bloody rabbits inside an empty wire dog kennel with ring/circle of DOC200 traps under the rabbit. The ferret trigger three of them and got catch in two! Classic booby trap!

Ha Ha love ya method we had two dogs roaming down the far end of Lake Waikaremoana - I had info from an Aussie dog trapper and they used multiple traps in a circle around a bait - the traps were all camoflaged - that was the only way they could catch them - these two were shot on a deer carcass by a local hunter

Great piece of news

By the way, @Hugh Shields - when you say

there is too much scratching involved with wild pussy!

All I can do is note that some guys love the drama..

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

if cockies can train cows and others can train dogs using collars to stay within a certain area and not cross a line..its entirely feasable to do same with cats....ifthe ystay within say 100mtrs of centre city house no issue..but once get past that collar gives tone,then vibrates then wee tickle then zap....clever as they are it would take very short time and they would stay home...shrink boundary as gets towards night and within VERY short space of time moggy is indoors and doesnt want to go out.

Only problem with your theory is keeping a bloody collar on the cat. The only way my daughter has found so far is to use pretty wire-cored flower arranging stuff, wound tight enough to nearly top the cat. THAT was a fun job, rescuing that pissed off barstool and pinning him down long enough to unwind his new decoration... Daughter is ASD and just loves cats, and can't understand why the cute black and white furry lump that lets her live in it's house won't cooperate. His track record with cuddles and collars etc is shite to be fair.

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

if we are to control cats it requires hard measures which will not be popular and in many towns likely ignored - all cats kept as pets neutered or sterilized - if allowed out a bell and dazzle collar -that way any cat out without a collar - fair game - if people want to get a cat then they get one from SPCA - no breeding allowed unless pedigree for shows as member of a cat club -- but as rewa alludes to they are well entrenched in our native - I have done survey trap lines way into Te Urewera Raukumara and cats and they are likely over what ?? 10-20 generations maybe more - we cannot afford to be precious - if we are to do something it needs to be effective

Same comment, impossible to keep a collar on cats if they don't want it. 20km range for some cats too... Only real way to differentiate between domestic and feral is by behaviour. Cats are but one source of danger to birds, everything from wasps through to weasels and every letter in between the rest of the A - Z needs to be sorted too.

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

if we are to control cats it requires hard measures which will not be popular and in many towns likely ignored - all cats kept as pets neutered or sterilized - if allowed out a bell and dazzle collar -that way any cat out without a collar - fair game - if people want to get a cat then they get one from SPCA - no breeding allowed unless pedigree for shows as member of a cat club -- but as rewa alludes to they are well entrenched in our native - I have done survey trap lines way into Te Urewera Raukumara and cats and they are likely over what ?? 10-20 generations maybe more - we cannot afford to be precious - if we are to do something it needs to be effective

I agree with the fixing suggestion, but a collar just won't work. Also chipping is nearly a waste of time - running a 50% failure rate so far and the current cat is wearing a chip that won't scan. As far as birds, my windows have claimed more kills than the cat running an average 50 a year to the house and sheds or nearly one a week (that we find). Cars are worse too. People get precious about cats, but they are just one source of lethality. Waste of time blaming it all on cats without trying to solve the rest of the issues as well. Yeah cat kill ain't good, but humans are worse. Just saying...

Collar, its simple the collar goes on not long after birth and the cat gets used to it.

Chipping, get a new chip.

Windows, yip they claim a few birds here also but I dont want to live in a cave and I guess you dont as well ? windows are needed.

Cars, yip they get a few but walking to the supermarket isnt an option for me and so a car is needed.

Is your cat needed ? or could you get by with a small dog that is registered, chipped properly, walked on a lead, not let out at night to roam where it wants, killing what it wants esp when it can get a feed at home ?

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

roaming dogs ARE targeted by councils and if caught and locked up cost hard earned $$$ to get back out..if not claimed get put down.... so it is not a level playing field between cats n dogs at the moment

/Puts on my best Yes Minister voice/
Well you see the councils cannot possibly do that with cats, as cat owners aren't required to pay an annual license fee.

Dogs are different to cats as they are a threat to humans. We've had a couple of fatal dog attacks up here recently. That doesn't diminish the threat of cats to native fauna, but I can see why the councils choose to prioritise dog control over cat control.

Originally Posted by Sauer

Sorry Micky but that last post of yours was just pure drivel.

It’s pretty hypocritical of you guys to criticise F&B’s stance on wild herbivores destroying native habitat but then be up in arms about cats killing native birds. I am not in any way defending F&B.

Hyper critical you say..... F&B also want cats contained.... Cats helping to destroy native birds.herbivours are destroying native plants...both species can exist if and only if numbers are kept in check so balance stays in favour of that that gets eaten..,.

And last time I checked there aren't many pet deer roaming streets at night

Originally Posted by sore head stoat

Collar, its simple the collar goes on not long after birth and the cat gets used to it.

Chipping, get a new chip.

Windows, yip they claim a few birds here also but I dont want to live in a cave and I guess you dont as well ? windows are needed.

Cars, yip they get a few but walking to the supermarket isnt an option for me and so a car is needed.

Is your cat needed ? or could you get by with a small dog that is registered, chipped properly, walked on a lead, not let out at night to roam where it wants, killing what it wants esp when it can get a feed at home ?

No they don't. Some cats are happy to wear collars like some humans are happy to wear shackles I guess. Others (the majority in my experience) are not.

Just coming out and saying "collar all cats" is about as possible as stating "everyone will buy an electric car in 2024 to replace their ICE". Just because you want it to happen and don't like ICE cars or cats, I have to be the one to break it to you you're sh1te outta luck. Also about as likely as keeping all cats inside, most of the cats around these parts DO NOT GO INSIDE EVER. They are bloody nice tame domestic cats, turn up for a scratch and a pat outside the house they just chose to not go inside at all and have their routines outside. A bit of realism about the animal is needed here I think, might as well start bleating about Rosalla's, Magpie's and Myna's and they damage they do to native bird numbers if you're going to bleat about cats. Everyone here is quick to bleat about F&B and them wanting to rid the country of deer, but F&B actually have a point and are quite correct under the law regarding the Wapiti herd - no legal basis to manage the herd under the current legal setup.

I'll add here for some people, their cats are needed and it's a vital thing for them. If it was their cat(s) or an unknown human dying, sorry human, I personally don't need or want a dog at this point in time, no intention to get one and small dogs just piss me off to be fair. In comparison cats are cleaner, quieter, no stupid high strung character flaws and I can't be arsed picking up dog crap. Plus, the current cat is up to something like several hundred rats, more mice, about 12 rabbits, two stoats and a few other pest species. Dogs are useless in that regard.

Well according to the SPCA ,remember they are very pro cat and probably were the ones that coined the phrase TNR [trap neuter return] after catching feral cats desexing them and releasing them again... "Cats are not bothered by collars"

https://www.spca.nz/images/assets/34...0cat%20pdf.pdf