REGIONWIDE CAT CONTROL A ‘WIN FOR BIODIVERSITY’

New rules for cats across the Nelson Tasman region have been aligned after Nelson City Council approved a suite of new rules last week.

Nelson’s cat management bylaw will come into effect from 19 December.

From that date, all new cats over the age of four months must be microchipped, desexed, and registered on the New Zealand Companion Animal Register.

Existing cats will not need to comply with the new rules until the end of the 18-month transition period, which concludes on 1 June 2026.

Microchipping allows a cat’s owner to be identified at the veterinary clinic where it was registered. Adding the microchip to the national register means the cat can be identified by any vet or approved agent, such as an SPCA branch.

This identification system not only helps reunite lost pets with their owners, but also protects pet cats from the newly expanded feral cat trapping efforts across the region.

The new desexing requirement aims to reduce the number of unwanted cats in the city by preventing unplanned litters.

Cats are exempt from this requirement if they are kept for breeding purposes and are registered with a nationally recognised cat breeders’ association, or if a registered veterinarian provides a certificate stating that desexing would negatively affect the cat’s health or welfare.

Enforcement of the rules is expected to be light, with Nelson Councillor Matty Anderson noting there will be no “cat cops” and that the bylaw is intended as “friendly guidance” rather than strict enforcement.

Nelson’s bylaw is nearly identical to Tasman’s, which was adopted in late November. The Tasman bylaw requires compliance for cats over six months old, rather than four, and comes into effect on 1 January 2024—two weeks later than Nelson’s.

The two bylaws will align with the region’s updated joint pest management plan, which now includes feral cats.

Mayor Nick Smith described the new bylaw as “pretty exciting.” A former Minister of Conservation, he recalled past Cabinet discussions about cat management, where concerns over public opposition to control measures were raised.

“This bylaw is a real tribute to the advocacy and growing public awareness of the harm caused by cats, particularly to our native birds,” he said. “It’s thanks to that awareness that we’ve been able to pass this bylaw.”

He added that “literally millions” of native birds are killed by feral cats each year, and that the new bylaw strikes a “reasonable” balance between the harm and nuisance caused by cats and necessary regulation.

Councillor Rachel Sanson praised the coordinated approach with Tasman, calling it “stellar” for managing the “negative impacts” of all cats in the region. She acknowledged that the council had been slow to act due to the lack of government leadership on the issue, but expressed relief that Nelson Tasman had finally taken the step forward.

Deputy Mayor Rohan O’Neill-Stevens said the new rules would bring cats in line with other animals, such as poultry, livestock, and dogs, which are already subject to regulation.

“As any cat lover knows, they can be little menaces, and that’s why we need to take appropriate management steps,” he said.

He described the bylaw as a “common-sense win for biodiversity.”

“It’s a win for our cats, and ultimately, it’s a win for our entire community,” he added.

Councillor Matthew Benge agreed that the bylaw was a “very necessary step” but suggested it should go further by declaring all cats that are neither microchipped nor desexed as feral. He expressed concern about the spread of toxoplasmosis—a “terrible” disease transmitted by cats to other mammals—and the threat of wildlife predation caused by feral cats.

“In some ways, we didn’t go far enough with this,” Benge said. “Hopefully, we can take the next step in addressing our feral cat problem.”

Councillor Tim Skinner acknowledged the benefits of microchipping but argued that the council should not make it mandatory. He was the only councillor to vote against the bylaw.

Nelson and Tasman’s bylaws, along with their joint pest management plan, will be reviewed in five years.