The New Zealand government has officially added feral cats to its Predator Free 2050 kill list, encouraging the public to hunt and kill cats across the country.

This decision is not just deeply disturbing — it is scientifically flawed and ethically indefensible.

The Department of Conservation (DoC) claims this policy will protect native wildlife. But more than 170 veterinarians, scientists, and animal welfare experts have warned: mass culling of feral cats will not work — and will only lead to unnecessary suffering.

The evidence is clear:

• Killing cats is not a sustainable solution. Vacant territory is quickly re-colonized, and breeding resumes — a phenomenon known as the “vacuum effect.”
• Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a proven, humane, and more effective strategy for reducing feral cat populations over time.
• Large-scale eradication campaigns are inhumane, impossible to fully monitor, and often lead to the suffering of non-target animals, including companion cats.

New Zealand has every right to protect its native ecosystems. But this approach — encouraging public participation in widespread cat killing — crosses a moral line, ignores global best practices, and risks the nation’s international reputation.

We are calling on:

• The New Zealand Department of Conservation to immediately reverse the inclusion of feral cats in Predator Free 2050
• The Prime Minister of New Zealand to publicly support humane, non-lethal population control methods
• The Ministry for the Environment to invest in large-scale TNR programs and community-led cat management initiatives.

This policy has sparked global backlash, and rightfully so. Compassionate conservation is not a contradiction — it’s the future. New Zealand can be a leader in humane, science-based environmental policy — but not if it continues down this path.

Sign this petition to demand New Zealand replace cat culling with humane solutions — and show the world that protecting wildlife and respecting animal welfare can go hand in hand.