“There are cats getting into the native bush; they’re preying on native birds, they’re taking insects, they’re taking reptiles — all sorts of things. They’re doing quite a bit of damage,” said Ali Meade, biosecurity operations manager at Environment Southland, to New Zealand news site Newshub.
Under the proposal, residents with cats currently living in their homes will have to register and microchip their pets, and they must also have a tracking microchip implanted. Once the cat dies, that’s it — no offspring, no adoption, no more furry feline companions.
“Cats make wonderful pets — they’re spectacular pets! But they shouldn’t be allowed to roam outside — it’s a really obvious solution,” said Dr. Peter Marra, head of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Centre, to the BBC.
Dr. Marra has researched and written extensively on the subject, concluding that roaming cats do much more harm than most people realize. “We would never let dogs do that. It’s about time we treat cats like dogs.” 
H/T: Travel and Leisure