Views on cat measures
March 6th, 2013 at 12:00 pm by David FarrarMatthew Backhouse at the Herald reports:
The philanthropist’s Cats To Go website was initially met with outrage from cat lovers, but responses to questions in UMR Research’s monthly online survey show the public may be coming around to his views.
Not really. The survey showed that the moderate proposals have support – as they should. But there is total rejection for his more extreme proposals.
The survey of about 1000 people found more than half supported neutering all cats, registering and microchipping all cats, and banning cats from areas near wildlife reserves, forests and national parks.
This is not surprising. And if Morgan had campaigned on those issues solely, then I’d say he would have got a far better reception.
But two of the measures Dr Morgan advocates were met with far less support, with only 12 per cent agreeing cat owners should not replace them when they die and 7 per cent agreeing cats should be kept indoors at all times.
And these measures were at the core of his campaign. His website is called Cats To Go – not Cats To Be Registered. The top infographic on his site says “Make this cat your last”.
Far from endorsing his views, this poll is a total rejection of his extremism.
Tags: cats, Gareth Morgan, Polls
March 6th, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Has Gareth ‘Expert on Everything’ Morgan been sighted near Rotorua recently?
http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/news/fears-cat-killer-could-strike-again/1778927/
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Do I detect a serious logic failure – all cats to be neutered but owners to replace theirs when they die?
What happened to common sense? When was it officially abolished from the curriculum?
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Good call DPF – strong reasoning.
I am not sure why we listen to Gareth Morgan or take him especially seriously. He is the archetypal ‘famous for being famous’ media personality.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 12:18 pm
“I am not sure why we listen to Gareth Morgan or take him especially seriously. He is the archetypal ‘famous for being famous’ media personality.”
I heard he was signing on to do a Reality TV Show with Sally Ridge and Sally’s ‘Heir Apparent’ Anna Guy….
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
Ha! But seriously, what else is there to him? He invested in his son’s idea to be the first-mover in a market. Good on him – he was richly rewarded. This has happened to plenty of Dads who have backed their sons. He has given to charity. He hasn’t exactly been quiet about it but again, good one him. but plenty of other wealthy people do that too – Paris Hilton for one.
So why should we pay much attention to his utterances about anything else?
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 12:33 pm
Longknives,
It may be that Gareth Morgan inspired the cat poisoner, and so should be held in some way responsible even if he had nothing directly to do with the deaths.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Lucia Maria,
Sorry – that seems a stretch on a stretch.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 12:38 pm
narcissist.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 12:46 pm
Cato,
Not really. A woman recently wrote into the SST talking about how a friend of hers got rid of the neighbourhood cats on the Kapiti Coast – gin trap. If it weren’t for Gareth Morgan, she wouldn’t have written in. How many people are now being inspired to do the same thing? What Gareth Morgan is doing with regards to cats is akin to shouting fire in a crowded theatre.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 12:54 pm
That might be right. If so, it might satisfy the ‘but for’ test – but does is satisfy the ‘proximity’ test?
Gareth Morgan hasn’t called for vandalism and property destruction in his holy war against cats. As far as I can tell he has only advocated working within the rule of law to achieve his ends.
Given that, implications of culpability are all a bit Jared Loughner for my liking.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 1:32 pm
I think Lucia Maria has a point. If I were to start a website ‘Dribbling Retarded Cleft Lips To Go’ and someone then stalked and killed Gareth I think that could reasonably infer some kind of responsibility.
Am I being too harsh on Gareth? Our National ‘expert on everything’? Nah fuck him- He wants to kill my cat.
Vote:(And my cat definitely doesn’t kill any native wildlife- the fat fucker can barely move himself from the sofa to his biscuit bowl)
March 6th, 2013 at 4:43 pm
I refused to respond to his poll as it didn’t differentiate between choosing to do the proposed (moderate) measures, vs having been convinced to undertake them now.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:06 pm
A lot of crazy cat people on this thread, the toxoplasmosis must be kicking in again.
Cats are a huge problem in this country, for health reasons (toxoplasmosis), conservation of native species, and a serious infringement of the right to enjoy ones own property without being forced to host the neighbors cats and their crap and urine.
It is regrettable that Gareth used unnecessary controversy, but then again, it probably helped get the word out there that NZ has a huge problem with irresponsible cat owners and this is no bad thing.
It also revealed what am incompetent agency the SPCA has become and this is also very timely.
This campaign is gaining traction nicely and I hope it ultimately results in a law change that brings in cat registration and micro chipping.
People will keep their cats on their property if they can legally be trapped and taken to the pound, that is for damned sure.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:08 pm
(And my cat definitely doesn’t kill any native wildlife- the fat fucker can barely move himself from the sofa to his biscuit bowl)
Yeah, because your cat is a little person in a fur coat and we all know that people don’t eat native birds.
Animal personification should be considered a mental illness.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:18 pm
Disagree. AH, Well, they’re 27,854th on the list of huge problems this country faces. We only have so much capacity for facing problems, so let’s deal the the major issues first.
By the time we’re finished dealing with other huge problems like economic meltdown through to deaths cause by cars and the non-availability of Marmite we’ll be well ready to deal with those toxoplasmosis-carrying little scumbags.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:24 pm
“Yeah, because your cat is a little person in a fur coat and we all know that people don’t eat native birds.
Animal personification should be considered a mental illness.”
Nope- He’s not a little person in a fur coat, he is a lazy fat cat. And I know for a fact he doesn’t kill any birdlife because he barely leaves the house..
I love my dog and my horses as well Shunda- Guess that makes me ‘Mentally Ill’?
Speaking of Mental Illness it’s actually pretty common knowledge that fantasising about killing peoples pets isn’t an overly healthy sign itself
Vote:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_dahmer
March 6th, 2013 at 7:25 pm
They are a huge problem when you live next to a colony of 17 poorly cared for fuzzy, fighting little piss & shit factories.
The SPCA is a f@cking joke, Morgan is right.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:30 pm
Nope- He’s not a little person in a fur coat, he is a lazy fat cat. And I know for a fact he doesn’t kill any birdlife because he barely leaves the house..
Do you follow him when he does? do you even know where he takes a crap?
I love my dog and my horses as well Shunda- Guess that makes me ‘Mentally Ill’?
It depends on whether you personify them. Do you?
Speaking of Mental Illness it’s actually pretty common knowledge that fantasising about killing peoples pets isn’t an overly healthy sign itself
Oh, ok, so I’m a serial killer because I am sick and tired of irresponsible animal owners.
You’re sounding more and more like a crazy cat lady.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:31 pm
“and a serious infringement of the right to enjoy ones own property without being forced to host the neighbors cats and their crap and urine.”
What about the right to enjoy life without some dribbling Cleft Lip retard with a ridiculous God complex appearing on our TVs every fucking night pontificating to us on how to lead every aspect of our lives??
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:34 pm
“Oh, ok, so I’m a serial killer because I am sick and tired of irresponsible animal owners.”
You’re the one that is jerking yourself off over the prospect of ‘trapping’ your neighbour’s pets mate.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:37 pm
What about the right to enjoy life without some dribbling Cleft Lip retard with a ridiculous God complex appearing on our TVs every fucking night pontificating to us on how to lead every aspect of our lives??
So you are unable to turn your TV off? Because I sure as hell can’t turn the cat shit problem off, or the spraying of urine at my back door and all over my tools, the constant cat fights and the ripping up of my property.
The “cleft lip retarded preacher” sounds pretty damned tame to me.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:40 pm
You’re the one that is jerking yourself off over the prospect of ‘trapping’ your neighbour’s pets mate.
Only a crazy cat lady talks like this, it’s the toxoplasmosis that dulls the part of the brain that assists with reasoning.
Your horse have much to say about the problem? bet your dog talks to you too doesn’t he.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:45 pm
“Cats are a huge problem in this country, for health reasons, conservation of native species..”
Seeing as over 70% of New Zealand’s extinct native species were actually hunted off the planet by Maori I wonder if you would advocate the ‘trapping’ of the local Tangata Whenua rather than Grandma’s beloved old moggy (who by comparison has actually done sweet fuck all ecological damage)??
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:54 pm
rather than Grandma’s beloved old moggy (who by comparison has actually done sweet fuck all ecological damage)??
Because that’s what I’ve been referencing all along isn’t it longknives.
You ‘cat people’ are all really very similar: kinda unhinged, prone to exaggeration, think of animals as a substitute for functional human relationships.
Bat shit crazy is a term that comes to mind. (a term that is actually strangely relevant actually
)
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 7:56 pm
You didn’t answer my question Shunda…
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 8:52 pm
I don’t need to.
Vote:March 6th, 2013 at 10:31 pm
It isn’t cats being neutered you are worried about it is landlords.
Vote:http://garethsworld.com/blog/property/owning-a-house-now-out-of-reach-for-most-and-its-all-our-own-fault/
March 7th, 2013 at 4:43 am
There is good research on wild life predators in New Zealand and the big three are
Stoats,… Rats,… and,.. Opossums ..
The link [ hope it works ] refers to the use of 1080, and wildlife preservation.
There is no doubt that cats are well down the scale of predator menace
http://www.pce.parliament.nz/assets/Uploads/PCE-1080.pdf
Should anybody think that Gareth Morgan is sane and relevant in New Zealand have a look at his tax ideas, ie google Gareth Morgan tax or go to this blogspot, which is a paulscolttfilms blog site
http://garethmorgantax.blogspot.co.nz/
Vote:March 7th, 2013 at 9:16 am
There is good research on wild life predators in New Zealand and the big three are
Stoats,… Rats,… and,.. Opossums ..
The link [ hope it works ] refers to the use of 1080, and wildlife preservation.
There is no doubt that cats are well down the scale of predator menace
If you are talking about Abel Tasman national park (or any other national park) then you are probably correct, if you are talking about anywhere within 50km of an urban area, you are completely incorrect.
I have been assisting with a conservation project adjacent to an urban area. We have trapped a handful of stoats in a trapping program and monitored the bird life. The native bird nests we find are almost always destroyed. Which animal is destroying them? Cats, bloody cats.
We know this because they always leave a bit of fur behind which is easy to identify.
If NZers want to enjoy more native birds near their home, poorly looked after cats are the biggest hurdle to overcome.
Irresponsible cat owners are a plaque on this country, (note the qualifier – “irresponsible”) it’s time we changed the law to ensure responsible cat owners become the benchmark for cat ownership.
Vote:March 7th, 2013 at 4:58 pm
‘Dribbling Retarded Cleft Lips To Go’ Lol
Gareth to Go.
Lets vote the self-important fool off these islands.
Vote: