The National Cat Management Strategy Group The National Cat Management Strategy Group (NCMSG)
data mining
Description
The National Cat Management Strategy Group The National Cat Management Strategy Group (NCMSG) was formed in November 2014 by eight national organisations to develop a national overarching strategy for responsible, compassionate and humane cat management in New Zealand through a collaborative and proactive approach. The key principles of the strategy are the promotion of responsible cat ownership, humane cat management, and environmental protection. The NCMSG consists of representative national organisations that have an interest in cat management. The members are Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), the Morgan Foundation; the New Zealand Companion Animal Council (NZCAC); the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA); NZVA Companion Animal Veterinarians (CAV); and the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RNZSPCA). The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is an observatory member and the Department of Conservation (DOC) is a technical advisory member. It is not possible to accurately quantify the cat population in New Zealand numerically, as exact cat numbers are unknown. However, estimates indicate that there is a significant cat overpopulation problem in New Zealand. There are approximately 1,134,000 owned cats (New Zealand Companion Animal Council 2016) and an estimated 196,000 stray cats (NZVA 2013). It is impossible to accurately quantify the number of feral cats in New Zealand, as their densities vary widely. Feral cat densities in New Zealand (which is 268,021 km2 in area) have been reported to vary from between 0.19-0.27/km2 (on private conservation land on Stewart Island [Harper 2007]) to 3-5.6/km2 (farmland with an abundant food supply [Langham & Porter 1991]). Data concerning the New Zealand cat problem are largely unavailable or estimated, as there is no central depository for the numbers of cats rehomed, euthanased, trap-neuter-returned or trapped and killed. Anecdotal evidence suggests that tens of thousands of cats are rehomed, euthanased or trap-neuter-returned by veterinarians and animal shelters annually. In addition, lethal control is carried out by the DOC, regional councils, private land owners, and private trapping groups, with no consistent recording.
