Should cats be allowed to roam freely?
Aotearoa New Zealand has a lot of cats! Forest & Bird reports we have:
1,134,000 companion cats
196,000 stray cats
millions of feral cats – there’s no data on feral cat abundance but this is a widely accepted estimate.
Legal and ethical issues
The Dog Control Act 1996 states that owners must keep their dog under control at all times, even when at home. But what about cats? Owners are not required to register their cats, and it’s generally accepted that cats can wander onto neighbouring properties.
Should cats be allowed to wander where they choose? Some people believe that it’s a natural behaviour – ethically, cats have the right to roam. Other people argue that invertebrates, birds and other small animals also have the right to be protected from predation by roaming cats.
Should cats be allowed to roam freely? – graphic organiser
Agree
Disagree
Not sure
Unused items
- Cats should be able to roam – it's a natural behaviour
- Cats should be restricted to their owner’s property
- Cats help keep down pest populations
- Roaming and feral cats endanger native animals
- All cats should be kept inside their owner’s home
- Cats should be desexed unless owned by a reputable breeder
- All cats should be registered and chipped
- Unchipped cats should be euthanised
- Supervised outdoor cat colonies are good places for feral cats
Should cats be allowed to roam freely? – graphic organiser
Use this interactive graphic organiser to explore your personal views about cats being allowed to roam wherever they wish. Place each statement card where you feel it belongs. There are no right or wrong answers.
This activity is designed to initiate discussion about animal ethics using cats as the topic.
Prior to conducting this activity, teachers may find it useful to read the article Managing classroom discussions. It provides helpful tips for creating a positive climate for discussion.
In this activity, students discuss statements regarding their personal views as to whether cats should be allowed to roam freely.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
use a graphic organiser to sort statements according to personal values and views
consider how their own relationships with animals influence their perceptions
select and use scientific information and mātauranga Māori to develop and justify their views or explain how the information has shifted their thinking
consider multiple perspectives and respect the views and values of other people.
Download the Word file (see link below).
Follow-on activities
These activities offer a similar premise. The statements contain additional text, which adds context and meaning:
Related content
Māori concepts for animal ethics – introduction brings together resources that explore animal ethics with a kaupapa Māori approach. Other resources include:
Activity ideas
The following activities also explore animals and ethics – using information and perspectives from the articles above:
Useful links
Feral and stray cats, published by the National Pest Control Agencies, provides a background overview of the pest cat problem in New Zealand with practical guidance on how to monitor feral cat populations and carry out feral cat control.
The Department of Conservation does not support the 'trap, desex, release' approach, also known as 'trap neuter return', for managing feral cats. Read about the SPCA's postion on this method of managing populations of stray cats.
In this YouTube video a panel of New Zealand experts share insights into cat welfare, containment challenges and the bigger picture of cats in our communities.
Acknowledgement
This content has been developed in collaboration with Professor Georgina Tuari Stewart (Ngāti Kura, Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu, Pare Hauraki), Auckland University of Technology, and Dr Sally Birdsall, University of Auckland, with funding and support from the Ministry for Primary Industries – Manatū Ahu Matua and the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART).
Animals of Aotearoa and animal ethics
Animals of Aotearoa: Kaupapa Māori Summaries and Exploring the Three Rs of Animal Ethics with Māori Ideas were developed with funding from the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) and the Ministry for Primary Industries. The silhouette design was created for this project and is the copyright of Professor Georgina Tuari Stewart and Dr Sally Birdsall.
