Keeping stray cats around could be the answer to eradicating Auckland's rat problem.
Residents in Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Westmere are reporting a sharp increase in rodents - sharing concerns on social media.
New Zealand Cat Foundation founder Anne Batley joined the Afternoons team to explain further.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from news Talk zed Be
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
What kicked off this discussion was a suggestion from former
Real Housewives of Auckland star and founder of the New
Zealand Cat Foundation and Bettley Burton. Her suggestion for getting
read of the rats and parts of Auckland is more cats,
and she joins us on the line now live from France,
and very good afternoon to you.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Hi. How are you lucky I woke up?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Have you run away from the ponsibly rat situation to France?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
No, I haven't. I would be back there fighting them
boats and alls.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
How bad was it when you left?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Oh? Well, actually I hadn't heard anything about it when
I left, because I left about three weeks ago. But
I do realize that it is becoming more and more
prevalent this sort of issue. And I've always been saying, hey,
instead of using all the poisons as well, and just
get the cats out there, let them do their best work.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
How many cats are you running in your house when
you're back in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Well, we have in Parnal, we have a couple of cats,
and we also have a couple of strays that come
around and I look after because we're on the reserve
and parnal. And back at our other house where we've
got the sanctuary, well, of course we've got hundreds of
them there because you know, the whole sanctuary is full
of stray and abandoned cats. But yeah, we definitely and
we do have some that actually free roam on the
(01:33):
property because we've got twelve acres out there at Comeo.
But you know, we have no wrap problems whatsoever, as
you can imagine. And funnily enough, we actually have two
hundred geese, about fifty ducks, and we have chickens and
we never have any of them killed, particularly when we've
got goslings and little baby chicks, and so it's remarkable
(01:55):
that it's you know, they just seem to work together,
which is great.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
So yeah, because that's the that's the pushback on the
idea of more cats, is say that you're heavily strats,
but you'll also have less native birds. That's definitely a thing.
But you say they don't go after them, they don't.
They don't actually, because I've never actually cats don't tend
to go after ducklings, do they for some reason they don't,
but they.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
But one thing that's really important to make it differentiation
between is that we're not talking about, you know, a
lovely area where we've got all the ground nesting native
birds and so and in pondany and you know urban
areas generally. You know, we're right in the middle of
this urban situation, and we're more concerned with keeping the rats.
If they aren't, we even worrying about whether. I don't
(02:44):
mean to be mean about sparrows and things, because I
love more but you know what I'm saying, it's it's
it's not of the same importance to us, you know,
if some of the sparrow get killed or something, rather
than if it was some beautiful native bird.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah. So how would it work with more cats? Are
you suggesting people adopt more cats or you'd have like
a high higher situation where the best killer is on
the block. You just just rent them out for a
couple of hours.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Yeah, Well, that's funnily enough, that is what they're doing.
In some big cities around the world. They're actually sort
of hiring them or buying them and agreeing to set
them up in a nice little set up outside. Make
sure they're fed, and you know, does a shelter form
of course, and they're basically needs taken care of. But
leave them out there too, literally roam at night nocturnal
(03:30):
out of the best is you know, cats are really
good doing their best work in the evening of the
night time, and the rats are out there, so let's
use them to get out there and kill the rats.
And the thing is, it's not and people, I mean,
we're always being encouraged to keep our cats inside at
night well as the reason for that, actually it's from
(03:50):
the conservation is because they want the cats out of
your action so that they're not going to tell any birds.
But the birds in urban areas are actually the fastest
sleep up in the trees and so on at night
and in the daytime. It's when you may need to
be concerned about the birds that night. And just let
those cats get out there and kill the rat. And
(04:13):
even if they're not killing them, the pheromones that the
cats actually exude apparently the rats are so clever and
they sense it and they just think, hey, we just
didn't keep well away from the business cats out on patrol.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Yeah, and finally, are you still on the champagne and
are you over in France?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
For that reason, I am definitely on the champagne, let's
say it. I'll be catching up with Champagne supply, Champagne Jacquard,
don't forget that. And also my wine barrels that I
am brought so for the New Zealand wine makers. So
it's great. It's beautiful and sunny. It's thirty three degrees.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Oh, I'll stop it, all right. Yeah, Well, enjoy the
bubbles and thanks for talking to us. And hopefully hopefully
Parnell still exists when you get back and hasn't been
completely devoured by rats.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I'm counting on those. It's all good, thank.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You very much. That is Anne Bettley Burton. Her suggestion
has more cats to take care of this rat infestation
in parts of Auckland.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
For more from News Talk set B listen live on
air or online and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from news Talk zed Be
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
What kicked off this discussion was a suggestion from former
Real Housewives of Auckland star and founder of the New
Zealand Cat Foundation and Bettley Burton. Her suggestion for getting
read of the rats and parts of Auckland is more cats,
and she joins us on the line now live from France,
and very good afternoon to you.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Hi. How are you lucky I woke up?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Have you run away from the ponsibly rat situation to France?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
No, I haven't. I would be back there fighting them
boats and alls.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
How bad was it when you left?
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Oh? Well, actually I hadn't heard anything about it when
I left, because I left about three weeks ago. But
I do realize that it is becoming more and more
prevalent this sort of issue. And I've always been saying, hey,
instead of using all the poisons as well, and just
get the cats out there, let them do their best work.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
How many cats are you running in your house when
you're back in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Well, we have in Parnal, we have a couple of cats,
and we also have a couple of strays that come
around and I look after because we're on the reserve
and parnal. And back at our other house where we've
got the sanctuary, well, of course we've got hundreds of
them there because you know, the whole sanctuary is full
of stray and abandoned cats. But yeah, we definitely and
we do have some that actually free roam on the
(01:33):
property because we've got twelve acres out there at Comeo.
But you know, we have no wrap problems whatsoever, as
you can imagine. And funnily enough, we actually have two
hundred geese, about fifty ducks, and we have chickens and
we never have any of them killed, particularly when we've
got goslings and little baby chicks, and so it's remarkable
(01:55):
that it's you know, they just seem to work together,
which is great.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
So yeah, because that's the that's the pushback on the
idea of more cats, is say that you're heavily strats,
but you'll also have less native birds. That's definitely a thing.
But you say they don't go after them, they don't.
They don't actually, because I've never actually cats don't tend
to go after ducklings, do they for some reason they don't,
but they.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
But one thing that's really important to make it differentiation
between is that we're not talking about, you know, a
lovely area where we've got all the ground nesting native
birds and so and in pondany and you know urban
areas generally. You know, we're right in the middle of
this urban situation, and we're more concerned with keeping the rats.
If they aren't, we even worrying about whether. I don't
(02:44):
mean to be mean about sparrows and things, because I
love more but you know what I'm saying, it's it's
it's not of the same importance to us, you know,
if some of the sparrow get killed or something, rather
than if it was some beautiful native bird.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah. So how would it work with more cats? Are
you suggesting people adopt more cats or you'd have like
a high higher situation where the best killer is on
the block. You just just rent them out for a
couple of hours.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Yeah, Well, that's funnily enough, that is what they're doing.
In some big cities around the world. They're actually sort
of hiring them or buying them and agreeing to set
them up in a nice little set up outside. Make
sure they're fed, and you know, does a shelter form
of course, and they're basically needs taken care of. But
leave them out there too, literally roam at night nocturnal
(03:30):
out of the best is you know, cats are really
good doing their best work in the evening of the
night time, and the rats are out there, so let's
use them to get out there and kill the rats.
And the thing is, it's not and people, I mean,
we're always being encouraged to keep our cats inside at
night well as the reason for that, actually it's from
(03:50):
the conservation is because they want the cats out of
your action so that they're not going to tell any birds.
But the birds in urban areas are actually the fastest
sleep up in the trees and so on at night
and in the daytime. It's when you may need to
be concerned about the birds that night. And just let
those cats get out there and kill the rat. And
(04:13):
even if they're not killing them, the pheromones that the
cats actually exude apparently the rats are so clever and
they sense it and they just think, hey, we just
didn't keep well away from the business cats out on patrol.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Yeah, and finally, are you still on the champagne and
are you over in France?
Speaker 3 (04:32):
For that reason, I am definitely on the champagne, let's
say it. I'll be catching up with Champagne supply, Champagne Jacquard,
don't forget that. And also my wine barrels that I
am brought so for the New Zealand wine makers. So
it's great. It's beautiful and sunny. It's thirty three degrees.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Oh, I'll stop it, all right. Yeah, Well, enjoy the
bubbles and thanks for talking to us. And hopefully hopefully
Parnell still exists when you get back and hasn't been
completely devoured by rats.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I'm counting on those. It's all good, thank.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
You very much. That is Anne Bettley Burton. Her suggestion
has more cats to take care of this rat infestation
in parts of Auckland.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
For more from News Talk set B listen live on
air or online and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
Popular Podcasts
Hey Jonas!
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com