Where do we draw the line on cat management? A new grad has some ideas

Natalie has been studying what Kiwis think about cat management. That information could help shape pet policy, reducing harm to native wildlife and benefiting public health. 

Her dissertation explores public submissions from five councils around the country, alongside insights from academic literature and international policy. Together, the findings aim to help inform decisions on this complex and controversial issue. 

The research suggested Kiwis could be ready for a National Cat Act, which has been hotly debated over the past few years. Although the act was shelved by the government late last year, there’s now another Domestic Cat Microchipping Bill proposed. 

Natalie decided to dig deeper into the issue after working as an intern at the Tasman District Council while it was drafting its new cat bylaws. She wanted to know where New Zealanders actually stood on the matter.

Across 2,275 submissions, her analysis uncovered far more support than expected.

“One of the most surprising findings was that most submitters supported cat bylaws. There’s this idea that people won’t support any cat legislation because opposition has been loud – but that wasn’t the case.”

Natalie’s research also showed that different regions have different concerns when it comes to cats, leading her to support a two-pronged approach.

She believes a national law covering the basics – like microchipping, registration and desexing – would benefit cats, owners and the public. It helps reunite lost pets, makes it easier to tell strays from owned cats, and desexed cats are less likely to roam.  

With those basics sorted nationally, councils could then focus on what matters most in their own areas. For example, Wellington submitters mentioned Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne sanctuary, while Tasman residents pointed to Golden Bay and St Arnaud as areas where they wanted stronger restrictions, like cat bans or indoor-only rules. Whangarei could benefit from stricter microchipping regulations to help handle its high stray cat population.

It was her solid foundation in conservation that prepared Natalie to take on this contentious cat issue.

Living in Australia, she looked across the ditch for higher education and decided on a Bachelor of Science at Lincoln, double majoring in Ecology and Conservation and Environmental Management. After a stint working and studying across Aotearoa, she returned to Lincoln for her Master of Planning, where she could apply her environmental background and gain an internationally recognised New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) accreditation.

“I realised I wanted to be part of the decision-making process. I enjoyed the hands-on conservation work I was doing zookeeping at the time – but with so many huge environmental challenges in the world, I wanted to have a say in how we manage them.”

Graduating this May, Natalie is already putting her research to work in a new role as a Graduate Planner at Auckland Council.

Whether she’s helping shape future policies or spoiling her own kitty Marceline (described lovingly as a ‘fluffy doofus’), Natalie’s committed to doing her part in tackling environmental challenges and hopefully leaving the world in a better place for future generations. 

Congratulations on graduating, Natalie! We hope you have the purrfect day.