🔥 Trending Feral Cat Hunting Competition Sparks Controversy in Canterbury

The annual North Canterbury Hunting Competition in New Zealand recently concluded, resulting in the culling of over 400 feral cats. This event has generated significant controversy and drawn criticism from animal welfare organizations ¹².

Background of the Competition

The North Canterbury Hunting Competition is an annual event that includes various hunting categories. In 2023, it gained global attention when it introduced a feral cat hunting category specifically for children, though this particular category was later canceled due to public backlash ¹⁶. Despite the controversy, the feral cat category was reinstated for the 2026 competition, albeit with new rules where hunters receive an entry into a prize draw for each feral cat entered ⁶.

Recent Event Details (2026)

Over the weekend leading up to July 13, 2026, approximately 440 feral cats were killed as part of the competition ¹. The organizer, Mat Bailey, reported that not a single microchip was found on the culled cats, suggesting they were indeed feral ². The competition's inclusion of feral cats continues to be a contentious issue, with animal welfare groups describing the organizer's stance on activism as "deranged" ²⁹.

Controversy and Animal Welfare Concerns

The competition has faced strong opposition from animal welfare organizations globally and within New Zealand. Groups like Network for Animals have highlighted that participants, including men, women, and children, compete for cash prizes by killing as many cats as possible through various methods, including shooting, poisoning, and trapping ⁷. These groups argue that such methods can injure cats and leave them to suffer ⁷.

Animal welfare groups have launched legal action and called for the immediate removal of the feline category ³⁵. They advocate for humane alternatives such such as Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs and support for organizations that rehabilitate and rehome feral cats ⁵. The Animal Justice Party (AJP) has also called for a national conversation about hunting competitions and their role in conservation, suggesting they reward killing rather than genuine conservation efforts ⁸.

Conservation Perspective

Proponents of the feral cat culling often cite the significant threat that feral cats pose to New Zealand's native wildlife, particularly birds. Cats are increasingly identified as a major predator of native bird nests, especially in areas like Canterbury's Ashley-Rakahuri River ⁴. For example, in 2025, a single feral cat was caught after it destroyed a large black-fronted tern colony on the Waiau Toa/Clarence River in Canterbury ¹⁰. This highlights the ongoing debate between animal welfare concerns and conservation efforts to protect endangered native species from introduced predators.