Many NZ pet owners consider roaming cats a problem

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-08-25 03:00

New Zealand

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A survey of more than 2000 adults who had a cat or dog, or previously had one, has found that more than 70% thought leaving cats and dogs to roam freely is a problem. Researchers also looked at respondents' explanations about why they were concerned about roaming cats, finding the main reason was concern for the felines' welfare. They note the survey, conducted in 2019, was not necessarily representative of NZ as a whole—for example, most respondents were NZ European females—but say responses calling for more regulation and enforcement of rules show there's increasing awareness of the challenges around roaming cats.