SELWYN COUNCIL NOT KITTEN AROUND: ALL CATS IN DISTRICT MUST BE MICROCHIPPED

Canterbury’s Selwyn district will be the first in the South Island to make microchipping cats mandatory, with owners facing fines of thousands of dollars if they breach the new laws.

Selwyn District Council this week voted to adopt the Keeping Animals, Poultry and Bees Bylaw, setting out rules for keeping animals in urban areas, including new limits on backyard chicken and beehive numbers.

All cats in the district over 4 months old will need to be microchipped by July 1 next year.

Selwyn is the fourth council in New Zealand to mandate microchipping after Wellington, Palmerston North, and Whanganui – and the first in the South Island.

In a statement, the council said the requirement received strong support during public consultation, and national research showed half of Kiwi owners already microchipped their cats.

The new bylaw allows the council to investigate and act on nuisance complaints relating to animals, including odour and noise complaints.

Council regulatory manager Billy Charlton said if they receive a complaint they will try an educational approach first, and the bylaw does not give council staff the ability to seize animals.

“However, Council has the ability to use enforcement processes when compliance cannot be gained.

“If a breach was deemed bad enough, the mechanism under most bylaws is to take the matter to the district court through a prosecution, and on conviction – and only on conviction – there would be a fine of up to $20,000.”

Charlton said the council currently has no idea how many cats live in Selwyn.

“Unlike dogs there is no requirement under New Zealand law to register cats or other pets, which means there is no mechanism to accurately count the number of domestic cats in the district.”

Of those who gave their views on the bylaw, 81 per cent supported microchipping.

Reasons included making cat owners more aware of the harm their feline friends can do to wildlife, and making it easier to get lost or stolen pets home.

The bylaw comes into effect on July 1, except for the microchipping rule, which comes into effect in July next year.