Nine Lives (For Cats and Birds) Project Launch

Tuesday 18th February from 5.30-6.30.  

Waiheke Sustainability Centre 

There will be a s

Short presentation and a Q & A session followed by light refreshments.  

Nine Lives (for birds and cats) is a new project supported by the Waiheke Collective and Auckland Council Biosecurity.   Ngā manu o Aotearoa are a great taonga and have been under threat by a number of introduced predators.  One of these is the cat, a species believed to kill over one million birds in Aotearoa per year.  Cats are, also, an important companion animal for many people and already Waiheke has a 'responsible pet ownership' initiative and nationally acclaimed brochure supported by conservation groups and animal welfare agencies on ngā motu.  Nine Lives builds on this initiative with the creation, and introduction of a brightly coloured (particularly red and blue) fabric ruff attached to a cat collar.  Overseas research indicates that such ruffs reduce bird predation by 80%.  The ruffs, also, support the companion cat's safety in a number of ways.   BYO Bags, who campaigned against plastic pollution by sewing recycled shopping bags, are now making the fabric ruffs and these ruffs and 'quick release' cat collars will be offered free to owners (small donations will also be accepted) who are happy to trial them.  A photo of Persia modelling the ruff is below