[bots]

A children's cat-hunting competition in New Zealand has been cancelled following backlash to the event.

Organisers of an annual hunt were criticised after they announced a new category for children to hunt feral cats, which are a pest in New Zealand.

Youngsters were told to not kill pets, but they were otherwise encouraged to kill as many feral cats as possible for a prize of NZ$250 (£124; $155).

The event drew immediate condemnation from animal welfare groups.

On Tuesday, the New Zealand's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was relieved the "children's category which involved shooting feral cats" would not go ahead.

A representative argued that children, along with adults, would not be able to differentiate between "a feral, stray or frightened domesticated cat", according to AFP.

There had also been fears that house cats could be "caught in the crossfire", one former sponsor of the hunt told local media outlet Stuff.

The event had been announced as part of a June fundraiser hunt for a local school in Canterbury on the South Island.

The competition each year typically sees hundreds - including children- compete to kill wild pigs, deer and hares.

Organisers of the North Canterbury Hunting Competition announced the cancellation of the cat event on Tuesday, saying they had received "vile and inappropriate emails".

"We are disappointed and apologise for those who were excited to be involved in something that is about protecting our native birds, and other vulnerable species," the group wrote on Facebook.

The post received more than 100 comments from users, many of whom defended the event. People said the hunt could have been a "controlled cull".

"If only people knew the damage wild cats cause around the place," one local wrote.

"They also [have] an effect on our farming. Wild cats carry diseases... we will just keep shooting them for as long as we keep seeing them," she concluded.

Measures to control the feral cat population are the subject of heated debate in New Zealand, where the animals are a major threat to native species and the country's biodiversity.

New Zealand's largest conservation group, the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, has estimated that feral cats could be responsible for the deaths of as many as 1.1 million native birds every year, as well as tens of millions of non-native birds.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65320162

[arista]

Evil.

[joeysteele]

Absolutely evil.
This is horrendous.

[Crimson Dynamo]

WHAT ON EARTH??

[MTVN]

Sounds like the feral cats are a real menace to birds and wildlife

[user104658]

Animal welfare aside -- encouraging behavior in children that is literally known to be a pre-warning sign of sociopathy (torturing/killing cats) is one of the worst ideas I;ve ever heard. If they are indeed pests and there needs to be a cull, it needs to be done by professionals ffs.

[UserSince2005]

NZ should be a cat free zone.
Think of the Kakapo!
I have a friend in Tasmania who has Cats that have never been outside and stay in the flat all day long.

[Liam-]

Cats are beautiful creatures, I’ll never understand why they’re classed as vermin

[arista]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Sounds like the feral cats are a real menace to birds and wildlife

Yes
but do not use children to kill them.

[bots]

and don't offer them prize money for killing the most cats

[Kate!]

Appalled by this.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Liam-

Cats are beautiful creatures, I’ll never understand why they’re classed as vermin

I love cats but they breed fast (if left to their own devices) and groups of feral or stray cats can genuinely destroy entire local ecosystems.

Catch & neuter is a much more humane way to deal with the problem though, as they don't have a particularly long lifespan in the wild.

Costs more though, of course.

[bots]

this was going to cost £124, so not cheap at all

[Cherie]

Horrendous idea

[Mystic Mock]

This is one of those extremely rare times that I'm happy for a competition to be banned.

Sick ****ers who came up with this competition.

[arista]

It was Explained on last nights
Headliners GBnewsHD 11AM every night
One Hour Newspaper review.

NZ halted it,
as these 14 year old kids got paid
per Feral Cat they kill.

But there is a problem,
they Kill Home cats, as well
that maybe outside
because its more Cash Reward.


Good to find out the Fast NZ Truth.

[Kazanne]

Disgusting,what have humans become .

[Crimson Dynamo]

https://www.facebook.com/theNorthCan...ngCompetition/