A small tabby kitten found herself in the midst of a Facebook furore last week.

The kitten was found at a camping spot at Lake Tekapo, and when someone posted photographs on a Lake Tekapo community Facebook page about her, opinions and threats flew thick and fast.

Some commenters were quick to claim the cat was feral and should be killed, offering to do the job themselves, while others were concerned the cat had been dumped and deserved a second chance.

While some were preparing to turn up with guns, PussN Boots Kitty Rescue member Samuel Bates, of Timaru, was on his way to rescue the kitten, which he was sure was not at all feral.

“I came across the post on Facebook about a cat that had been found at a camping spot at Lake Tekapo.

“I saw hundreds of comments from people saying it deserved to be shot, that it was feral and that they could ‘bag it’.

“But I could tell by someone getting that close to take a photograph that this most likely wasn’t the case.

“It was sitting there waiting when I pulled up, and within five minutes of getting out of the car I had the cat in my hands and came straight home.

“I didn’t even need to take the trap out of my car — I caught it by calling it.”

The cat, a female about 6 months old, was healthy and very friendly, although neither fixed nor microchipped.

“She’s in my care now, with my five other rescue cats, and will be vaccinated, desexed and microchipped, and will be looking for a forever home.”

Mr Bates said he had never seen such an aggressive response to a social media post about a lost or missing cat before.

As well as people immediately jumping to threats to kill the cat, they were also attacking people in the comment section who wanted to help it.

“People trying to help should be encouraged, not threatened.”

While people involved in cat rescue organisations were sometimes on the receiving end of abuse or death threats, removing the cat from the environment addressed concerns about its impact on local wildlife.

“My biggest concern was that the people who were the first to jump to violence are the ones who have guns.

“This was something as small as a kitten. What else can set them off?”

More education was needed about identifying feral cats, as opposed to those who might have become lost, neglected or dumped, Mr Bates said. 

Microchipping also made it easier to identify owners if a cat was lost or had strayed.

A feral cat generally had had no human contact, would be unlikely to get close enough to people to be photographed, and if it was, would likely be running.

“You can tell pretty easily if they are scared, or if they are actually feral.”

If people were unsure what to do about a cat they had found, they could contact any of the local cat rescue organisations for advice and assistance.

Those no longer able to look after their cats could also ask for help from a rescue and rehoming organisation.

* PussN Boots Kitty Rescue will be at Animates in Timaru this weekend, from 10am to 3pm each day.

claire.allison@alliedmedia.co.nz