Federated Farmers is pushing Dunedin City Council to make cat microchipping and desexing compulsory in its animal-control bylaw review, saying unmanaged domestic cats fuel feral cat populations that cost farmers money and harm livestock. "The council needs to stop pussy-footing around this issue," said Otago president Anna Gillespie.

Feral cats spread toxoplasmosis, a major cause of ewes aborting their lambs; ewes are infected by eating pasture or feed contaminated with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii from cat faeces. The federation's 2026 national pest survey found feral cats on more than 70 percent of farms, behind only possums and rabbits. Eleven councils already require desexing, microchipping and registration.

In 2023 the late Tasman farmer Lloyd Faulkner lost about 120 lambs to toxoplasmosis, costing at least $13,000, despite vaccinating his ewes. A 2014 report estimated Hawke's Bay farmers spend about $336,000 a year vaccinating against the disease, preventing about $1.03 million in lost lamb production. Pest control spokesperson Richard Dawkins said vaccines cover only some strains, and the federation wants feral cats included in regional pest management plans.

Photo: Brocken Inaglory / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Source: Farmers Weekly NZ