Patrick Gower visitor hosting questionable feral cat killing hunt

Patrick Gower is guest hosting a North Canterbury hunting competitors that consists of the questionable killing classification of feral cats – and he recommends it.

“I have a long history of loving domestic cats and a more recent history of hating feral cats and I see the two as totally different beasts,” he said.

Earlier this year, organisers of the yearly North Canterbury Hunting Competition withdrew the classification for under 14-year-olds for the most feral cat eliminates following public reaction and media protection.

The competitors provided young hunters a $250 prize money for the most feral cats killed in North Canterbury over a 2 and a half month duration. As well as a chance at a $4600 area reward for junior hunters in the form of a kid’s motorcycle.

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At the time, Gower openly stepped forward and shared his views on feral cats after the reaction.

The feral cat classification is now just for grownups, and brand-new guidelines remain in location for this weekend, that includes utilizing box traps for gentle capture and ‘feral animal identification’ and interacting with farmers and neighbouring residential or commercial properties for authorization.

Gower informed Stuff on Thursday he was “fully aware of the background”.

“I was aware that kids were also going to be involved in the initial format. I’m not a hunter or anything like that but if kids are going to hunt rats, possums and stoats then they may as well be hunting feral cats.”

Gower said he comprehended the concerns that include the classification however “over time we are going to come to learn that even though feral cats and domestic cats are the same species…they are incredibly different beasts.”

Organiser of the hunting competitors Matt Bailey said they had actually record entries this time round and on Wednesday over 1200 hunters had registered for the weekend occasion.

Will Appelbe​ from the animal rights group SAFE (Save Animals From Exploitation) said they still thought there was a considerable threat of a family pet cat being killed in case.

“I highly doubt these people are carrying microchip detectors, it’s just not plausible,” he said.

However, Gower has no issues a family pet will be captured in the crossfire this weekend.

“I wouldn’t be supporting it if I did, if in the minimal possibility that there was a domesticated cat caught up in this it would be an absolute disaster in my view.

“The last thing I would ever want is for someone’s family pet to be caught up in the crossfire. I love family pets. I’ve owned many cats, I love cats.”

A North Canterbury homeowner said she was frightened for her cat’s safety this weekend as she resides in the backwoods and her cat doesn’t use a collar.

“He’s a Maine Coon, he is a big cat that could easily be confused and what happens if they put him in a box? He’d probably act out.”

Gower said he appreciated domestic cat owners and had “no beef” with them, however did have beef with “the 2.5 million feral cats in this country that are destroying our Kiwi, Kākāpō and our Black stilt”.

Appelbe said there were other techniques that might be utilized to manage the population of cats.

“Like desexing, registration and microchipping or rescuing and re-homing. People can be encouraged to adopt cats,” he said.

Gower appreciates SAFE and said he liked the work that they did however thought that individuals would see feral cats act “a bit like the devil on methamphetamine when it’s caught in a box” and would understand the distinction.

Gower desired feral cats consisted of in predator-free 2050.