In the New Zealand farming community of Canterbury (Waitaha in Māori), homeless cats eke out a meager survival. Now, under the guise of 'conservation,'
children as young as 14 are being encouraged to take part in a bloodthirsty hunt to slaughter these cats, whose only crime was to be born without a home.
The North Canterbury Hunting Competition is an annual event that offers prizes to hunters who slaughter wild pigs, deer, rabbits, ferrets, goats, ducks and geese...
...and now, helpless cats.
In 2023, the hunt introduced cats for the first time, offering cash prizes to the most prolific cat-killer, and this year, cats were back on the target list for the hunt.
The weigh-in for the competition produced a truly revolting sight.
Blood-covered hunters piled cat carcasses in crude cages, or hung them from poles with meathooks forced through their jaws.
Hundreds of cats were trapped in cages, then casually shot by the hunters. Children as young as 14 were encouraged to join the hunt, and
one man killed 65 cats alone.
Can you imagine the complete lack of empathy you must feel to look into a caged cat's eyes and pull the trigger?
Shockingly, the government allows the hunt to continue unchecked, as it considers cats an invasive species that threatens native birds.
At Network for Animals, we take the conservation of native species seriously – but we also know that
senselessly shooting cats is a cruel and highly ineffective method of population control that does little for conservation efforts.
We are urgently asking animal-lovers to sign our petition calling on Mayor Mary Black of the Hurunui District, where the hunt takes place, to ban the slaughter of cats in this barbaric competition. We are also calling on
Minister of Hunting and Minister of Agriculture Todd McClay, Minister for the Environment Penny Simmonds, and
Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka to implement humane, sustainable solutions to control the cat population and protect the nation's native species.
We are dedicated to working with local partners to roll out sterilization and relocation campaigns, while putting pressure on the government to repeal barbaric laws targeting cats. If you'd like to support our mission, head to our website to find out more and to help us collaborate with our partners on humane cat population control measures, while lobbying the government to STOP this cruel slaughter.
Sweet, homeless cats do NOT deserve to be tortured – please sign the petition now!As part of our campaign to end the violence, we have sent open letters to local and national government
demanding an end to cruel cat population control methods and suggesting humane, sustainable and more effective alternatives that minimize suffering.
View our open letter to Mayor Mary Black here.View our open letter to the Ministers of Hunting, Agriculture, Environment and Conservation here.
