Dogs & Other Animals

Feral cats

Rotorua Lakes Council supports responsible cat ownership which includes microchipping to help identify your pet, and de-sexing to prevent unwanted litters and potential issues. Owners could also consider other sensible preventative measures such as keeping cats indoors at night.

Council does not currently have legislative requirements that would allow us to deal with cats – feral or domestic. In addition, there is no requirement for owners to microchip their cats to assist with confirming whether a cat is feral or domestic.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council classes feral cats as an ‘Advisory Species’ which is not controlled by Councils, but responsibility of the landowner/occupier to manage. The Department of Conservation does take an interest in feral cats in locations where native wildlife is present, such as Sulphur Point.