A children's cat-hunting competition in New Zealand has been cancelled following backlash to the event.

Organisers of an annual hunt were criticised after they announced a new category for children to hunt feral cats, which are a pest in New Zealand.

Youngsters were told to not kill pets, but they were otherwise encouraged to kill as many feral cats as possible for a prize of NZ$250 (£124; $155).

The event drew immediate condemnation from animal welfare groups.

Not sure the idea to get kids killing feral cats was too bright, however there is nothing to stop a campaign getting underway which precludes kids from the hunt.

 

They are indeed one hell of a nuisance and are indiscriminate killers at the best of times, so god knows what these feral ones are like – – get rid of the buggers, and as soon as possible, wouldn't be soon enough.

So why are the animal welfare groups not taking these feral cats into their own houses and thus fixing the problem?

11 hours ago, Social Media said:

The event drew immediate condemnation from animal welfare groups.

I take it the people in the animal welfare groups are all vegan and don't use leather, LOL.

 

Sadly NZ has gone woke, IMO.

 

When I was a kid I shot rabbits ( a pest ) and that was regarded as a good thing. Feral cats are a pest, and kill birds, so it's a good thing to kill them.

7 hours ago, billd766 said:

So why are the animal welfare groups not taking these feral cats into their own houses and thus fixing the problem?

IMO it's all about making other people do, or not do, things, not about them and what THEY should do.

9 hours ago, xylophone said:

Not sure the idea to get kids killing feral cats was too bright, however there is nothing to stop a campaign getting underway which precludes kids from the hunt.

Problem with that is that adults would need to be paid, as it takes time and money to be a hunter.

5 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I take it the people in the animal welfare groups are all vegan and don't use leather, LOL.

 

Sadly NZ has gone woke, IMO.

 

When I was a kid I shot rabbits ( a pest ) and that was regarded as a good thing. Feral cats are a pest, and kill birds, so it's a good thing to kill them.

Doesn't seem like a good game for children, however

4 minutes ago, Misty said:

Doesn't seem like a good game for children, however

I sort of agree with you, but if they have to make it a game to remove feral cats I can live with it.

When I was a kid children killing pests like rabbits was normal, and we didn't need a game or a prize to do it.

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I take it the people in the animal welfare groups are all vegan and don't use leather, LOL.

 

Sadly NZ has gone woke, IMO.

 

When I was a kid I shot rabbits ( a pest ) and that was regarded as a good thing. Feral cats are a pest, and kill birds, so it's a good thing to kill them.

Snowflakes will take over, then all hell will break loose.

1 minute ago, hotchilli said:

Snowflakes will take over, then all hell will break loose.

LOL. IMO they already took over. Real men know to keep their heads down and say nothing in public about it.

22 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. IMO they already took over. Real men know to keep their heads down and say nothing in public about it.

I actually stand up and declare I'm a meat-eater... mostly at the veg counter... lol

The competition itself is not cancelled, just that there is no longer a category for feral cats, which may still be shot but won't count towards competition points. 

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The competition is a beloved community event and fundraiser for Rotherham School and pool, attracting more than 900 participants in 2022, 250 of which were in the junior category.

Juniors hunted animals including possums, ducks, hares, rabbits, rats and geese.

Feral cats have a major impact on native wildlife, and its introduction as a category was mostly met with praise by locals.

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NZ Department of Conservation

The control techniques that we currently use to control feral cats are poisoning, trapping and shooting. Where cats are lethally controlled, DOC uses efficient and humane best-practice techniques and adheres to the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

 

 

NZ: Patrick Gower calls for canned children's feral cat killing competition to return

 

 

The Newshub journalist is encouraging Rotherham School to "get the competition back on" and even offered a reward. 

 

Discussing the matter on AM panel, Gower said he will always be on the side of native birds when it comes to feral cats "every single day of the week". 

"If they're going to hunt, and there are feral cats in the way, then we have to wipe them out."

 

"Feral cats need to be shot, they need to be run over, they need to be trapped, they need to be wiped off the face of Aotearoa, New Zealand."

 

Gower is encouraging Rotherham School to "get the competition back on" and to "get the kids back out there".

 

If they do, he's offering his own reward for children who hunt feral cats.

 

Gower told AM if the children are from hunting families and are shooting rabbits and possums anyway, then feral cats should be targeted too. 

 

"We need to look at wiping them out and I support Rotherham School and what they're doing."

 

11 hours ago, billd766 said:

So why are the animal welfare groups not taking these feral cats into their own houses and thus fixing the problem?

Probably out fox hunting

NZ is running out of money and has to use child labour to kill these feral cats?

How much would it cost for the NZ government to get rid of them?

 

$153,000 was spent on killing each wallaby on the govt program in Otago. Absolutely insane

We could have hired a private jet for each wallaby and flown them back to Australia for a fraction of that price. 

 

"Government officials stand by $2.76 million spent on wallaby control in Otago, despite only 18 recorded wallaby kills recorded in the area, saying preventing a large infestation is “not wasted money”.

They Taxpayers’ Union released a statement on Tuesday morning saying taxpayers should be “hopping mad” about a $153,000 kill cost per wallaby in Otago, after it received data of the wallaby spend and kills from Biodiversity NZ.

“Taxpayers and Otago Regional Council ratepayers have forked out $2.76m and more than 26,000 hours of work for a wallaby control programme that killed just 18 wallabies,” executive director Jordan Williams said."

1 hour ago, Patong2 said:

NZ is running out of money and has to use child labour to kill these feral cats?

How much would it cost for the NZ government to get rid of them?

This isn't a surprise as NZ has been unable to get rid of rabbits and possums for as long as I can recall, despite so-called "eradication programmes" being in place for yonks!

10 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. IMO they already took over. Real men know to keep their heads down and say nothing in public about it.

And you know this how?

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