Proposed new by-law by Hutt City Council

Christene from Waiwhetu

Let us know what you think about proposed new chipping and snipping rules for domestic cats.


Hutt City Council is seeking public feedback on proposed amendments to the Control of Animals Bylaw to include a section on the Keeping of Cats. The key proposals are:

Mandatory microchipping of cats
Mandatory registration of microchipped cats on the New Zealand Companion Animal Register (NZCAR)
Mandatory desexing of cats
These changes would help to reduce feral cat populations and make it easier to reunite lost cats with their people.

We want to ensure our beloved moggies aren’t causing harm to wildlife, and managing numbers by desexing will reduce the number of domestic and feral cats in Lower Hutt. Desexing also has welfare benefits for the desexed animal such as being less aggressive and less prone to urine and scent marking behaviour.

Submissions on these proposals are open until 5pm on 6 November 2023.

It takes about five minutes to give your feedback. Submissions can be made anonymously but if you wish to make a verbal submission at a hearing, your name and contact details are required.I feel that this is wrong. Many people have a cat for company and it would be an extra cost 1. in running the programme and implementing it
2. cost to the cat owners.

I feel that the Hutt City Council needs to focus on the sewage and waste not getting more money from people who have a loving cat.