The dumping of domestic cats in remote places on Otago Peninsula is threatening the area's "very precious" wildlife.
Those who look after endangered species, such as yellow-eyed penguins, are worried about their safety as the wild cat population increases greatly.
The penguins and other wildlife on the peninsula are a vital tourism attraction and were in 2007 estimated to add $100 million or more to the Dunedin economy each year.
The Department of Conservation programme manager for biodiversity assets, David Agnew, said feral cats could impact on wildlife such as small burrowing sea birds, like sooty shearwaters, as well as skinks and geckos.
He urged people to think twice before dumping their cats and remember they could end up shot or trapped.
Cape Saunders farmer Dave McKay said he had been looking after a yellow-eyed penguin colony on Little Papanui beach, on his farm, for 30 years. This season, about 100 of the penguins made his beach home, as well as some blue penguins.
In the past 15 months, Mr McKay had trapped or shot 23 cats, of which half were domestic cats. He had others in his sights.
The penguin breeding season on his property this year had been quite successful, with only one nest lost to predation, but he thought it was cats which destroyed it.
He believed the domestic cats had been dumped on the property by "irresponsible" owners because it was "out of the way".
Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust field manager Dave McFarlane said more cats had been seen at Okia Reserve so extra traps, specifically for cats, had been set, especially around the south end of Papanui Inlet where they had been reported.
People needed to realise they were threatening "very precious" wildlife by dumping cats, he said.
Dunedin City Council parks officer Scott MacLean said the council contracted three-monthly night shoots, mostly for rabbits on the peninsula, including Okia Reserve, where it was not unusual for five feral cats a night to be shot.
Penguin Place also had an ongoing problem with feral cats, especially from Christmas onwards, and had trapped 25 since October 1.
Larnach Castle, which was trying to encourage native birds back into its garden, had trapped seven feral cats since February and it was thought four more were on the property. The cats were either put down or adopted out by the SPCA.
SPCA senior inspector Steph Saunders said cats had bred for longer due to a mild summer and the SPCA had noticed an increase in cat numbers as a result.
Based on Mr McKay's experience, it seemed as if his farm was becoming a dumping ground for unwanted cats, she said.
"There is no excuse. We do not refuse any cat, we just ask that we are the last resort."
