There's an old saying that 'a house is not a home until it has a cat', but a new housing development 30 minutes from the hustle and bustle of the Auckland CBD flat out rejects the notion.
In fact, you can only buy a home in Weiti Bay if you don't have a cat.
Weiti Bay developer Evan Williams told Seven Sharp that "the rules are that cats are prohibited and dogs are controlled", meaning dogs must be approved by the body corporate, be fenced in and unable to roam free.
Cats, meanwhile, are banned - even if they're indoor-only.
“This is in the path of a really important wildlife corridor and we have a lot of native bush around us as part of the property, and the idea is part of a predator program to protect birds,” he explained.
Williams said the request had been made by the council “at the time we were seeking consent”, adding that they “were okay with that because of the conservation gains”.

It’s not the first time there’s been a ban against cats, however, and conservations are onboard.
Conservation biologist James Russell praised the decision.
“If you're buying into this area, it's for its sensitive ecological values and not a place that we want to have pet animals roaming around causing damage to the sensitive wildlife.
“By managing pests and removing those impacts on birds, you just see a massive flourish in birds.”
Williams said it has put some people off from buying homes in the new development, including one person two weeks ago who was “near to signing to buy a house and they said no”.
Russell said he doesn’t believe we “need to ban pet cats everywhere” for conservation purposes.
“I think we need to focus on the most sensitive areas where we're doing subdivisions,” he said.

The New Zealand Cat Foundation and Pussy Palace owner Anne Batley Burton considers the cat ban a slippery slope.
“The rights of everyday New Zealanders and freedom to own a cat is being eroded,” she said.
She says our fury friends are being unfairly targeted.
“If the councils were worried about [habitat loss], they should have not allowed the development to go ahead, full stop.”
“Cats are constantly being demonised and treated as if all they do is go out killing birds. In fact, cats are predators, quite right, however, their main job - which is a fantastic job - is killing all the rodents.”
Batley Burton says it's causing vigilante behaviour towards cats.
“There are a large number of people taking it upon themselves, toting guns, going out at night and killing people's pets,” she said.
“Just imagine the day when we wake up and the purr of the pussy is just a distant memory, and we can only hear it on YouTube.”
SHARE ME