Cat management bylaw

Cats are cherished members of our households, providing us with much joy and companionship.

However, as responsible pet owners, we recognise that they can also negatively impact our neighbours and wildlife. Love for these animals needs to be balanced with the well-being of our communities and the valuable work of rescue organisations such as SPCA and wildlife protection organisations such as Forest & Bird.

Microchipping and microchip registration supports the community’s ability to identify and return domestic cats to their owners. This reduces the time period cats are being separated from their owners. It also supports long term implementation of the Tasman-Nelson Regional Pest Management Plan (e.g. being able to differentiate between domestic cats and stray/feral cats found in high value ecological areas).

Mandatory desexing should reduce the number of unwanted litters of kittens, reducing contributions to stray and feral cat populations – and therefore reducing impacts on Nelson’s community and biodiversity.

A recent engagement process with 1,100 respondents has identified strong support for mandatory microchipping (88%) and microchip registration (84%) and for desexing of cats (91%).

You can read a copy of the bylaw here.

Any cat over four months of age must be:
        a. Microchipped and the cat’s microchip registered with the New Zealand Companion Animal Register; and
        b. Desexed, unless:
            i. the cat is kept for breeding purposes; and registered with a nationally recognised cat breeders body, or
            ii. the owner provides a certificate from a registered veterinarian stating that the desexing of the cat will adversely affect its health and/or welfare.

Existing cat owners shall be granted a transition period from the commencement of this bylaw, during which they are required to desex, microchip and register any cats they already own. This transition period shall extend until June 1, 2026.

Definitions:

Cat means a domestic animal of the species Felis catus, including both male and female cats, regardless of breed, kept as a pet, companion, or for other purposes.

Desexed means the surgical sterilisation of an animal, which involves the removal of reproductive organs to prevent breeding. In male cats, this is known as neutering, and in female cats, it is known as spaying.

Microchipped means a registered vet has implanted a small electronic device (microchip) under the skin of an animal, typically between the shoulder blades, that contains a unique identification number which can be read by a scanner. This number is linked to a registry containing information about the animal and its owner.

Nationally Recognised Cat Breeders Body means an organisation that is officially acknowledged at the national level for its role in promoting, regulating, and supporting the breeding of cats according to established standards. This body maintains records of registered breeders and ensures adherence to ethical breeding practices.

Nelson City means the territory contained within the City of Nelson as defined in Schedule 2 to the Local Government Act 2002.