The purpose of this Code is to provide information to the owners and persons in charge of companion cats, including cats in breeding establishments, boarding catteries, animal welfare shelters and pet shops, about the standards they must achieve in order to meet their obligations under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.
 

This Code of Welfare encourages all those responsible for companion cats to adopt the highest standards of husbandry, care and handling, and to equal or exceed the minimum standards.
 

Cats are the most commonly owned companion animals in New Zealand. Unlike commercially farmed animals, the vast majority of cats are kept for their intrinsic nature as loved and loving companions. While individual cats exhibit widely varying natures, they also share some common characteristics, such as an instinct for predation. Hunting is a normal part of a cat’s behaviour, and some cats (such as those on farms and in commercial premises) are kept mainly for the purpose of controlling rodent populations. The question of protecting wildlife is outside the scope of this Code.
 

This Code is intended for all persons responsible for the welfare of companion cats.
 

Under the Act the "owner" and every "person in charge" of an animal are responsible for meeting the legal obligations for the welfare of animals under their care.
 

For companion cats, the owner of the animals may place them in the care of others who become the persons in charge, but this does not derogate from their responsibility to ensure that the requirements of the Act are met.

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Click here to read the Code of Welfare: Companion Cats (2018).