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A large, free-roaming community of cats, which had set up home around Mangawhai Village, has been safely captured thanks to local animal sanctuary Helping Paws.
Late last month, the volunteer animal organisation was asked by locals to help the large group of strays – nicknamed the Molesworth Mandarins due to their ginger coats. The cats were inhabiting the area from the Vet Centre, behind The Hub retail building, down to Before Six Childcare Centre and across the road to neighbouring businesses.
In one week, Helping Paws volunteers humanely trapped 16 cats and kittens from one trapping site alone.
However, Helping Paws founder Megan Denize believes the problem may be far greater than the numbers they are currently seeing and has officially launched the Mangawhai Desexing Project in response to the request for help.
“This little family of cats has been cared for by businesses along this strip of shops for many years, and in some cases, the businesses have trapped, desexed and found the cats new homes,” she says.
“Due to this rescue, the charity’s resources have been stretched to the limit and we are now turning to the community for help.”
Volunteers have been visiting the first trapping site four times a day to manage the traps, and are also visiting Mangawhai Vet Centre twice a day to take cats in for desexing and vaccinations.
An estimated $5000 will be needed to cover the extra veterinary care and day-to-day costs of the rescued cats and kittens including food, desexing, vaccinating, flea and worm treatments, microchipping and registering.
Sponsors are also needed for the adult cats who will remain in care for a longer period while they are socialised and prepared for adoption.
Helping Paws approached Kaipara District Council for financial support but were told they would have to apply for community funding.
Denize says homeless cats are often mistaken for being feral, but there is a distinct difference between stray and feral cats.
“Strays or community cats live among us, in urban areas and regularly seek out humans for food, while feral cats live deep in the bush and are rarely seen by humans,” she says. “The cats we’ve just rescued are strays and their reliance on humans to feed them makes them very well suited to being socialised and adopted.”
Seven families have already opened their homes to provide foster care for some of the cats, as well as several adoption applications for the youngest kittens.
“This project has been a huge effort from Helping Paws’ dedicated team of volunteers. The Mangawhai Desexing Project is the start of an ongoing programme, which will target any area in Mangawhai where there is a colony that needs help.”
Donate at: https://mangawhai.raisely.com or directly to: The Helping Paws Charitable Trust 38 9016 0019372 04.
Council’s cat control remains limited
Unlike dogs, which are covered under the Dog Control Act 1996, there is no specific legislation that mandates local councils to control cats, with councils primarily focused on ownership through bylaws. A Kaipara District Council spokesperson says the council is not resourced or staffed for the direct management of stray or feral cats with issues involving the animal’s welfare or large unmanaged populations normally addressed through the Northland Regional Council, which provides free traps and veterinary assistance. “In situations where stray or feral cats are creating a public health issue, the district council may become involved, but this would be assessed on a case-by-case basis.”
