this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2025
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New Zealand has announced plans to eradicate feral cats by 2050, as part of efforts to protect the country’s biodiversity.

Speaking to Radio New Zealand on Thursday, conservation minister Tama Potaka said that feral cats are “stone cold killers” and would be added to the country’s Predator Free 2050 list, which aims to eradicate those animals that have a negative impact on species such as birds, bats, lizards and insects.

Cats had previously been excluded from the list, which includes species such as stoats, ferrets, weasels, rats and possums, but Potaka used the interview to announce a U-turn.

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[–] Zink@programming.dev 3 points 1 day ago

As somebody who (1) loves the beauty of the natural world and (2) lives in the USA, I'm hearing that NZ might be a most excellent place to retire, or even move to earlier.

[–] Tetragrade@leminal.space 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Meow, meo meow meow mao meow, meow meow mrrp meow. Meow meow meow meow meow... 😿

[–] Eezyville@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 day ago

TWEET!! Tweet tweet tweet! Tweet tweet tweet tweet tweet tweet tweeeeeet! 🐥

[–] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 40 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I wish "middlebrow dismissal" had become a more common term. It basically means a knee-jerk rejection of an idea without seriously engaging or investigating it. A "cache dump of prejudices" rather than argument.

This thread is absolutely filled with people who think they know better than kiwi conservationists that have studied and discussed this topic in depth.

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Most people didn't read the story, and don't actually care, they are just feeling emotions and need to vomit it out. Even if they did read the story, most people don't really understand things like ecology anyway so it's unlikely to change their emotional reactions.

[–] P1k1e@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's still weird to dismiss the insane destructive power of the domestic shorthair. Killing is practically their only pastime

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago

The "baby-fication" of pets is an incredibly damaging culture. People don't see dogs and cats for what they are and it causes problems in the lives of animals and humans alike.

[–] Squizzy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Big fan of removing cats from my country in general, they are blight on the native wildlife.

It is not personal but they should all be gone. Boom in mice and rats for a bit after

[–] Siegfried@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Cats have the exact same right to bring extinction to this world as we do.

The indigenous species have priority to exist.

[–] Ludicrous0251@piefed.zip 125 points 3 days ago (6 children)

Cats are remarkably capable predators, and cat owners are remarkably irresponsible.

Letting your cat be an "outside" cat is bad enough for the environment. Not spaying/neutering said "outside cat" is how we get feral cats everywhere.

That said, I dont love the vague "eradicate feral cats" language. Would greatly prefer a broad spectrum spay/neuter/tag program to naturally reduce their population.

Predator-free NZ was always destined to ruffle some feathers though.

[–] Baguette@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 3 days ago (4 children)

I don't think just spaying is enough. It'd have to be capture or even worst case euthanize. Leaving cats and any nonnative predator is especially harsh on local species each second they are in the wild because new zealand is one of the few places with flightless birds like the kakapo, which are critically endangered (just one step away from being extinct in the wild)

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[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 20 points 3 days ago (1 children)

As someone who donates significantly to spay/neuter efforts (in the U.S.), these irresponsible people piss me the fuck off. To the extent that I have cut people out of my social circle over the issue.

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[–] laz@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

they gotta put thiel on that list

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[–] CovfefeKills@lemmy.world 62 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Cats must only be indoor pets. We can easily separate pet mice and rats from their feral counterparts and we need to do the same to cats. And I am a cat person big time.

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

If you care about cats and/or if you care about the environment, you keep your pet cats indoors. Simple as.

A lot of reactionary, super-sensitive, chronically online children in this post wailing into the void because they're imagining some kind of housecat Auschwitz.

You can't claim to care about the environment and be fine with feral cats eliminating some of the most unique biodiversity on the planet. You midwit pussies out there have to make a choice.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 19 points 3 days ago

Same.

Love cats.

Keep them in doors.

Outdoor cats and feral cats are walking, prowling ecological disasters.

[–] xvertigox@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago

+1 for indoor only cats. Those cunts are ruthless - they can't not murder wild animals and we've got a lot of native birds here so keep em indoors.

[–] MBech@feddit.dk 87 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (5 children)

To the people thinking "oh poor kitties". In New Zealand, cats are like terminators (or more accurately, Predators from those movies). Pretty much everything evolved to be incredibly easy pray for cats. Sure, it sucks that cats have to die, but they're an incredibly invasive species that hunts the native species to extinction. They should've never been imported in the first place.

[–] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 34 points 3 days ago (1 children)

No one in New Zealand actually wants to go around killing cats. Euthanizing them is the tool of last resort, and it’s generally prioritized for areas where urgency is high and other more humane solutions are hard to implement.

You can’t fuck around in an island ecosystem. You have to make hard choices in order to preserve the lives of the native plants and animals.

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[–] Baguette@lemmy.blahaj.zone 24 points 3 days ago (13 children)

New zealand is extremely prone because its home to flightless birds and other similar species that never grew up against land predators of this nature. That's why cats and even rats are especially dangerous. These flightless birds have no real way of protecting their young and even themselves.

It's sad for cats because we see them as companions and pets, but new zealand holds a lot of critically endangered species that simply cannot exist anywhere else

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[–] DronePirate@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Are they going to introduce a bigger possum?

[–] RabbleRebel@lemmy.wtf 1 points 1 day ago

Lol! Eradicate feral cats by introducing a bigger possum? Classic NZ humor

[–] FosterMolasses@leminal.space 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'm sorry, I read this headline like a Dr. Doofenschmirtz plan, ahahahahahaha

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[–] MelonYellow@lemmy.ca 30 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Feral cats cause the ultimate destruction to local wildlife. They are so common, one of the worst invasive species. And New Zealand’s an island with precious endemic wildlife not found anywhere else in the world. So yeah - it’s about time! Bravo NZ for doing the right thing.

Edit: They need to do this in Hawaii too!

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[–] Greyghoster@aussie.zone 25 points 3 days ago (6 children)

Most people have not seen a feral cat and assume that they are just domestic cats living rough. Couldn’t be further from the truth. Savage predators loose in the bush and Australia has millions of them.

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[–] Darkness343@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (4 children)
[–] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (6 children)

Honestly, cat is just pretty gross. Did not like at all, even before I knew what it was. Incredibly greasy, very unpleasantly gamey, weirdly stringy, do not recommend.

[–] Darkness343@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

My grandma use to sell cat meat saying it was rabbit and people liked it back then

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