Wellington to investigate more rules for keeping cats, and other animals, in check
Thursday, 9 March 2017
Wellington City Council has still got its claws into plans to keep the capital's cats in check.
The council is about to start looking at new ideas to reduce the conflict between cats and wildlife as part of a new animal policy, which will complement the bylaw it introduced last year that made cat microchipping mandatory.
Enforcement options, such as warning notices, abatement notices and prosecution will be considered.
The new policy will also address the potential problems that come with the city's growing population of goats, horses, pigs, alpacas, donkeys, bees and chickens – but will not include dogs.
**READ MORE:
* Wellington backs down on cat curfew, but continues push for compulsory [microchipping
](http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/82599101/wellington-city-council-backs-down-on-cat-curfew-but-continues-to-push-for-compulsory-microchipping)* Wellington will become the first city in NZ to make microchipping cats compulsory
* Wellington bylaw would cap cat numbers, ban roosters and limit pigeon feeding**
The 'nuisance' created by feeding pigeons and other animals in public places will also be looked at. Council staff have suggested establishing a designated feeding area for birds, such as the Wellington Botanic Gardens' duck pond.
The public will be offered a chance to have its say on the new policy later in the year.
Last year, the council backed off some of the more controversial cat proposals for its bylaw, such as limiting ownership to three or fewer, a night-time cat curfew, banning cat ownership in wildlife-sensitive areas, and compulsory desexing.
The new policy will set out new ways to 'support responsible cat ownership' and 'help remedy cat-related issues', such as hoarding, but it will not go as far as imposing bans.
Councillor Peter Gilberd said a strict cat curfew would not be back on the table.
'It will be guidelines and education rather than compulsion. It could be about encouraging people to keep their cats inside at night.'
He was keen to see the number of strays in the city reduced.
The council already has the power to act on 'cat nuisance', such as people keeping large numbers of the animals, but has limited resources to enforce this.
A scoping paper on the new policy, which will be debated by councillors on Thursday, says enforcement options will be looked at alongside a cat-focused education campaign encouraging desexing and microchipping.
It also says microchipping and registration of cats may need to be 'expanded on further'.
Council staff have also suggested using the policy to establish a process for seeking permission to keep more than eight poultry or roosters.
Other ideas include establishing a set distance that coops can be kept from boundaries and buildings, or having a set number of poultry that can be kept per square metre of property.
Guidance about suitable locations for beehives and best practice for beekeeping in urban areas will also be spelled out, as will ways to make sure pet owners have adequate supplies for their animals in an emergency.
A 'resolution pathway' for pet-related dramas could also be established.
'It could be useful to provide a pathway to assist neighbours talking to each other about animal-related issues.'
ANIMALS IN WELLINGTON
From a Wellington City Council report:
* There is no official record of the number of cats in Wellington but Victoria University estimates about 35 per cent of Wellington's 71,000 households include a cat (and some will have more than one).
* Dog ownership in Wellington is popular, with nearly 11,000 dogs registered.
* Rooster numbers in the city are estimated to be very low, but there is high probability they will crow loudly.
* Pigeon nesting and faeces is damaging Wellington's CBD buildings. Culls have previously been rejected by the council.
* Animals traditionally kept as livestock – goats, horses, pigs, alpacas and donkeys – are becoming increasingly popular in urban areas of Wellington.