New Zealand's cat‑killing contest ignites global outrage amidst ethical debate

Many countries have traditions or behaviours others may consider unusual, strange, or dangerous. Bullfighting, for example, often faces criticism in Spain and Mexico. Italians can’t understand how anyone can eat pizza with ketchup or garlic sauce, while the British are puzzled by those who dislike tea with milk. However, New Zealand has taken the absurd to a new level.

New Zealand faces a recurring problem each year—stray cats, which are so numerous that they pose a threat to the ecosystem. The country's authorities struggle to manage the roaming felines. Hence, they devised an unusual and rather drastic idea. Every summer, contests are organized to kill as many stray cats as possible. Moreover, children participate in this "game" and receive rewards for it.

The competition is organized in the rural areas of the Canterbury region. The event combines fundraising for the local community with hunting rabbits, ducks, or possums. In 2023, a certain category was added to the contest, which is cats. This decision outraged animal rights activists, but from the organizer Matt Bailey, they heard that cats carry diseases and pose a threat, and thus can be captured. During this year's event, 340 of them lost their lives, many of which were juvenile. We remind you that children participated in the contest.

Due to the drastic nature of the photograph posted on theguardian.com, we will not show it here. It depicts cats hung dead on a fence, with people around admiring the "trophies." Each of them was heavily rewarded. In the contest prize list, CAD 445 is awarded to the person who hunts the most cats and CAD 890 to the one who captures the enormous creature.