New Zealand feral cat killing competition for children cancelled after backlash

‘Children, as well as adults, will not be able to tell the difference between a feral, stray or a frightened domesticated cat’

Representational image: Organisers were forced to axe a category for children under 14 to hunt feral cats (AP)

A competition for children to hunt and kill feral cats in New Zealand has been called off following backlash from animal rights groups.

The North Canterbury Hunting Competition announced that it had scrapped the category for children under 14 to hunt as many feral cats by the end of June for a chance to win about £125.

Although the prospective entrants were warned against killing pet cats, which would have gotten their entry disqualified, activists argued that the measures weren't sufficient.

Domesticated cats are difficult to tell from feral cats, said Will Appelbe, spokesperson for animal rights group SAFE.

“Disqualifying dead cats with microchips is too little too late,” he was quoted by The Guardian as saying.

Several people in New Zealanders let their cats roam freely outdoors which could blur the boundaries between pet cats and feral ones, he added.

Following a backlash, the category from the hunting competition, which is held annually to raise funds for the rural South Island community and village school, was axed on Tuesday.

"We acknowledge concerns that were raised so we removed the announcement from our page at 5.30pm on the 17th April and begun seeking advice and guidance on next steps," the competition's organisers said in a statement.

"...the decision has been made to withdraw this category for this year to avoid further backlash at this time."

The organisers said on Facebook that the school had been receiving "vile and inappropriate messages and emails" since the announcement of the new category, which was withdrawn over "safety" concerns.

The decision to scrap the cat hunting category was welcomed by New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), which said it was "both pleased and relieved that the children's category which involved shooting feral cats has been removed".

"Children, as well as adults, will not be able to tell the difference between a feral, stray or a frightened domesticated cat," an SPCA spokesperson was quoted by AFP as saying.

Feral and domestic cats are a pest in New Zealand and a threat to the biodiversity and native wildlife of the Pacific nation. They regularly prey on endangered native birds, lizards, bats and insects.