The Country 13/06/25: Jessi Morgan and Adam Thompson talk to Jamie Mackay

Predator Free NZ on why feral cats are a huge on-farm problem. Plus, the man behind Restore Native Nursery and My Mortgage.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We've got Jesse Morgan from Predator Free and Z and
you don't like cats.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
No, I don't like feral cats.

Speaker 3 (00:08):
You're right, So feral cats obviously a huge problem on farm.
We've got to stand and we've had about eighty percent
of our conversations about controlling feral cats, and so we
need to do something about them. We also need to
add them to the Predator Free strategy, which is out
for consultation at the moment. But yeah, come and talk
to us about feral cats and how you best control
them on farm, because we know that they're a real

(00:30):
problem out there and increasing all over the place.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
So, Jesse, what about the old pet moggie at home?
You let them out at night and they go out
and kill native birds. Should we ban cats? I shouldn't mind.
My sister's a real cat. Ladies, you'll kill me for
saying this, but I mean, your average domesticated cat is
a pest as well.

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Absolutely all cats hunt, and they're all really highly skilled hunters.
And so what we suggest is that you keep your
cat safe and happy at home. So responsible cat ownership
in New Zealand needs to include micro chipping, desexing, and
keeping your cat at home.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
So otherwise, can you not let your cat outdoors at all?
Is that what you're saying?

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, I mean that happens all over the world right.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
New Zealand is weird because we don't have apex predators
and so we let our cats rome.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
But actually we should be keeping our cats at home.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
It's better for cats and it's better for wildlife. They
also spread toso on farm and which is a huge issue,
and so the diseases are spreading end up into Maui's
dolphin and kill the Maloi dolphin too, which is highly endangered.
So yeah, so cats have got huge issues and have
a huge impact on our native species.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
Shane Jones might beg to differ on the Maui's dolphins.
He's not worried about the dolphins anyhow. You Adam, you
and Claire seriously wear so many hats and you are
a bit of a power couple of New Zealand farming.
You've got the mortgage business, Clear's got a fashion business.
You're doing all sorts of things. But you have a
native nursery Restore Native and you do great work.

Speaker 4 (01:56):
Thank you. No, we love it. And it's this time
of the year we've fled out. I feel a little
bit there. I'm here undercover at field days and my
team are out in the rain planting trees all over
the White Ketto today. But no, we love it this
time of the years like Christmas for a nurseryman. The
trees are going on the ground, they're looking great. So
farmers are doing great things spending their money on that too.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
You know, I love planting native trees. I've got a
wetland down in Southam where I potter around and plant
native trees. But they are a bit of a labor
of love.

Speaker 4 (02:22):
It's just a you to have a plan for these things, Jamie.
Especially up here in the Whitetto land of Milk and Honey.
We grow some beautiful trees. Good planning, the right tree
in the right place and a good maintenance project. And yeah,
weigeting's farmers some really good results here, which is great.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Here at your stand and you're at the other end
of the main pavilion to us what sort of deals
you got going. I'll give you a shameless plug for
you and restore native nursery.

Speaker 4 (02:42):
Bloody brilliant free delivery on the North Island. On trees.
What is over a thousand plants, and of course we're
off for a full service from advice right through planning
and planting as well. So if you kennicat native trees,
we're down here in the foyer.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
Okay, there we go, Adam Thompson and Jesse Morgan. Lovely
to meet you, Jesse. And remember, if you've got a
moggie at home, what about putting a bell around their neck?

Speaker 4 (03:02):
You do that.

Speaker 3 (03:02):
It doesn't really work for lizards as well, so I
mean it can work a little bit, but they learn
to hunt.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
They're so clever these things. They they learn to hunt
and not have their bell ring.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
I'm glad Shane Jones isn't here because he doesn't like
dolphins or lizards or skinks or blind frogs.

Speaker 3 (03:18):
Would be good if he didn't like feral cats too,
that would be a good adea.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
You need to track them down and tell them to
have a crack at the feral cats.

Speaker 4 (03:24):
Lovely to chat