About

Northland Cats in Balance is the name of our group of cat lovers which originated from ‘Paihia Cat Protection’ (PCP), a circle of Paihia residents who, for more than 13 years, took care of a small, colony of abandoned Companion Cats. The animals were all desexed, fed regularly at a feeding station and treated by local Veterinarians when necessary.

Although all of them were “too old to fend for themselves”, as Far North District Council had stated in an official media release, the feeding station was removed, two of the cats were trapped and, because of this, the remainder have scattered…….

Not only did the Council force those in charge of the poor animals to break the Animal Welfare Act, they also acted against common sense and public interest merely because they had been lobbied by some self-appointed, so-called environmentalists.

Our eldest member is Betty Chapman who had established the Paihia Cat Colony. We are all determined to fight cruelty against animals and the resulting general tendency to violence. As a matter of fact, this goal should become common, at least among New Zealanders, since our Animal Welfare Act has – as the world’s first – recognised animals as sentient beings.

Today (16th October 2016) Betty wrote this to her friends:

“Only moments ago I was listening to Q & A on TV 1 – I hope some of you saw it too. What an inspiration HELEN KELLY has been in her lifetime, and now her dying message to all of us was KINDNESS – How true! Are we forgetting how to be kind? Is that why CRUELTY is on the increase?”

But first things first!

What can we do as a policy of gradualism, or as a first step towards improvement of our environment?

If you are planning to add a Feline to the Family?

• Please skip the pet stores and backyard breeders
• Visit your local animal shelters and cat rescue organizations to find the perfect new adult or kitten for your family. You could also go to Petfinder.com and search available kitties in your area.
• Despite their popularity as family pets, only 2 percent to 5 percent of all kitties turned in to shelters are reclaimed by their owners, and over half the cats in shelters never find new families and are euthanized.
• Be sure that you know your responsibilities: The greatest of them all is that your care shall last for the lifetime of your new family member. If you are not sure you can offer a forever-home, don’t think any further.