The Community Cat Coalition’s cat de-sexing project in Onehunga awarded funding due to meeting sustainability and environmental priorities.
Stray or ‘partially owned’ (community) cats are found all over the world. They’re the result of people failing to get their pet cats spayed or neutered, and unless de-sexed themselves, they can multiply rapidly and those which survive are often of ill-health due to the endless pregnancies and births.
The Community Cat Coalition (CCC) is an Auckland based charity which focuses on desexing community cats so that they can live happy and full lives, whilst stopping the birth cycle and huge numbers which can occur.
“This project isn’t just about the health and wellbeing of our feline friends,” explains Liz Somers, Chair of the CCC. We were certain the local board would see the benefits for their community when we came to them about the issues in Onehunga.”
“De-sexing community cats can have a positive impact on the surrounding environment including on native fauna, on the usability of local parks and green spaces for human activity”
“It was the first time this board had been approached to help fund a cat de-sexing project, but it certainly aligns with Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board's grant priorities for environmental leadership towards a desirable environment to work, live and play, so the board were pleased to be able to support it” explains Chris Makoare, chair of Maungakiekie-Tamaki Local Board.
The main areas for focus in Onehunga are the Felix Street and Captain Scotts Road areas, where there are particularly high numbers of un-desexed community cats. Over the next 2-3 months an estimated 60 cats, recognised as community (stray, semi-owned, street, dumped, abandoned) cats will be caught, desexed and microchipped, provided with basic veterinary care by the CCC’s generous local partner vets and either re-homed where feasible, or released at the point of capture, to minimise distress for the animal.
“We have been working regionally since 2009 and our main aim is to address the issue of stray cat populations through the scale of response which makes the biggest impact. We provide a humane solution to an ongoing issue, and though ‘solution’ may not be accurate, it certainly goes a long way to improving the situation, the environment, and the lives of many stray cats…. as well as for those living in our communities”.
Find out more about Community Cat Coalition at catcoalition.org.nz
Find out more about local board grants, when they are open for applications and to link to more information via the council website.
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