Council Slow to Support After Cat Becomes Permanent Garden Fixture

A cat in Andersons Bay has been found with its head poking through a hole in a weed mat, surrounded by seedlings, in what its owner insists is not on purpose.

The cat, a tabby named Egas, was discovered mid-morning Sunday by owner Marnie Voss, 44, who had stepped inside to put the kettle on. "I left for four minutes. Came back and he was a crop. Just his head. Looking at me like I'd done it."

Voss said she rang the Dunedin City Council to ask whether her vegetable patch now counted as livestock, an enclosure, or "a fucking shambles". She was told someone would get back to her in ten working days.

A neighbour, Roddy Aitken, said he'd watched the whole thing from his kitchen window. "Cat dug under the tarp, got stuck halfway, gave up. Sat there for forty minutes. I would've helped but I was eating a pie."

The silverbeet is a write-off. So is the coriander. Egas has been extracted and is, per Voss, "not speaking to anyone".

STATEMENT FROM DUNEDIN CITY COUNCIL:

The Council is aware of community concerns regarding an incident involving a domestic animal and a private garden in the Andersons Bay area. The matter is being assessed by the appropriate team to determine whether it falls within Council's remit.

Responsibility for animals on private property rests, in the first instance, with the owner. Bylaws relating to containment and the horticultural use of weed matting are currently under review as part of a broader work programme.

While Council acknowledges the distress that may be experienced by ratepayers in situations of this nature, residents are reminded that not all neighbourhood matters are appropriate for escalation to Council in the first instance. A response will be provided to the complainant in due course.

The Council thanks the community for its ongoing patience.