Dog & Cat Owners
All
dogs, regardless of size, breeding or training, are potential kiwi killers.
Even friendly, usually gentle family dogs are not exempt – uncontrolled they are a serious threat.
Even dogs especially trained and certified to help kiwi workers find the birds have to wear muzzles – just in case.
Likewise, wild or abandoned cats are a big threat to kiwi, especially young chicks. Along with stoats, cats account for the deaths of 70% of wild-born chicks before they reach six months of age.
What you can do
- Give your dog a roomy pen or kennel where it can be happy, and make your property escape-proof.
- Only exercise your dog in areas designated for that purpose.
- If you live near or a visiting an area with kiwi in it, keep your dog on a lead at all times – a kiwi can be caught and killed in seconds.
- Keep your dog tied up or inside at night – freely roaming dogs are a menace to kiwi.
- Keep your dog away from kiwi areas during the breeding season – June to March.
- Ask your local Department of Conservation area office for information on how to train dogs to avoid kiwi.
- Never abandon unwanted cats or dogs – it is cruel to them and cruel to kiwi. Either give them to the SPCA or ask a vet to put them down humanely.
- Keep cats inside at night if you live in a kiwi zone. Your pet may look like it sleeps all the time, but cats wearing radio transmitters have been shown to roam up to 20-kilometres from home.
- Keep your cat well fed and have moving toys for it to play with, so it is less inclined to chase birds.
- Have your cat neutered or spayed so it can’t produce unwanted kittens.
