A woman in the Far North, who has chosen to remain anonymous, is set to receive assistance with the removal of over 50 wild cats that have taken up residence under and around her council-owned pensioner flat. The woman has endured more than a year of distress due to the presence of numerous wild cats and kittens, which have caused significant damage to her property.
According to the woman, the cats have torn the underfloor insulation from her unit and littered her garden with feces, rendering it unusable for gardening and posing health risks due to the smell and potential contamination.
“There’s too many, it’s just so overwhelming and I really just want them gone,” she expressed to the Northland Age earlier this month.
Despite her complaints to the council, the situation persisted until recently when the Far North District Council pledged to take action. Kevin Johnson, the group manager for delivery and operations, assured that a plan would be formulated promptly to address the issue of the wild cats.
“We are taking these concerns seriously. Staff will be on site this week to assess the situation and develop a plan to reduce the number of wild cats and work with the tenants towards responsible cat ownership,” Johnson stated.
The council has also sought guidance from the Northland Regional Council to ensure a humane resolution to the problem.
The woman described the pensioner flats on Taheke Rd as generally pleasant to live in but emphasized that the influx of cats had severely impacted her health, happiness, and overall well-being. She noted that the problem had persisted for over a year, becoming significantly worse in the past 12 months with the population of wild cats reaching around 50.
Expressing relief and gratitude, the woman welcomed the council’s commitment to addressing the issue.
“Somebody came here today [Wednesday] to talk to me about it and they said they’d get a plan together to get rid of them,” she shared. “I’m just so happy about that, I’m very pleased. Thank you for getting this sorted out as I’d rang and rang and complained for a while with nothing being done.”
She added a plea for community cooperation, emphasizing the importance of not feeding wild cats to prevent them from gathering around residential areas.
“Yes, part of the problem is that some people are feeding the cats and they have settled around where they are being fed, so I’ve got some sympathy for the council, but I’ve just had enough,” she said. “There’s cat poo and wee all around my property. They live under the house and have destroyed the underfloor insulation, and I just want them gone.”
The council’s commitment to develop a plan for humane removal provides hope that the woman will soon see relief from the ongoing challenges posed by the large population of wild cats in her immediate vicinity.
