Nearly 400 Cats Killed in Controversial Competition
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Loading... - Callum Mitchell
- 02 Jul 2024
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A controversial cat-culling competition in North Canterbury has resulted in the killing of 370 feral cats, with some participants' actions sparking outrage. One man, who killed 65 cats, was awarded a $500 prize.
The event saw clashes between cat hunters and animal rights protesters, with allegations that children threw rocks at the protesters after they took custody of a baby possum. Although children under 14 were not allowed to participate in the competition, a video from the Animal Save Movement protesters shows a young child dragging a dead cat through an obstacle course.
Event organiser Matt Bailey explained on Checkpoint that the group, comprising farmers and their partners, organized the competition as a fundraiser for their local school and to aid those in need. Initially a pig hunting competition, it evolved to include cats after noticing an increase in the feral cat population.
"The cat side of it started as a meeting in a woolshed, we'd had a few beers and someone said, oh, there's a few more cats than the previous year and we didn't have a category for them, let's put them in," Bailey said.
Bailey, who kills at least 40 cats annually on his farm to prevent disease, defended the competition, stating, "It's nothing new to us, but unfortunately, New Zealand is a cat-loving country, so we've had controversy from different groups." He highlighted the stealthy nature of feral cats and the ecological damage they can cause, noting that his friend Jimmy Maxwell, a conservationist, killed 65 cats on his property along the Hurunui river.
Bailey emphasized the need for legislation to prevent people from abandoning cats in rural areas. "We need desexing and microchipping and registering like your dogs. These cats have free rein and they can do what they want and we need to stop people breeding these animals and dumping them out here in the countryside."
Despite the controversy and protests, Bailey remarked that the publicity has been beneficial for the competition.
