Forget nine lives — one shot in North Canterbury could turn a feral feline into a $1,000 payday.

It’s cash for cats, and the claws are out.

“There’s $1000 for the biggest cat, $1000 for the most cats culled, and a draw where every cat gets you an entry for a prize,” says event organiser Mat Bailey.

“We increased it this year, because the cat section gets people fired up.”

Held annually in Rotherham over Matariki weekend, the hunting competition is more than just a trophy haul — it’s a major fundraiser.

Proceeds go to Rotherham School and the community pool, and this year the event will also support the Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust, a service that plays a crucial role in rural and hunting communities.

“It’s not hard to find someone who has a life-changing story involving the Westpac Rescue Helicopter,” Bailey said.

The event also supports Hunter4Hope, a charity that last year donated 2200 kilograms of venison mince to the Hope Community Trust from the competition — enough to provide around 16,000 meals for people in need.

With 1518 entries in 2024 — including 450 junior hunters — last year’s event was the biggest hunting competition in New Zealand.

A total of 747 animals were weighed in the open section: 175 deer, 191 pigs, 6 chamois, 4 wallabies, and a jaw-dropping 371 cats. The junior section brought in 727 animals.

This year, the total prize pool is expected to reach around $55,000.

One lucky ticket-holder — no hunting required — could walk away with a 2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak.

“So many people don’t realise you can enter from anywhere,” Bailey said.

“It’s just a raffle. You buy a ticket, you don’t have to be there, you can enter from anywhere in the country.”

Other prizes include a Fiordland fishing trip with Takapu Charters and a 110cc Honda motorbike for junior hunters.

But not everyone’s lining up to celebrate.

The cat section continues to stir backlash from animal rights activists — especially Christchurch Animal Save (CAS), who have protested at past events and plan to return this year.

“A huge concern of ours is the impact hunting has on the developing brain of a child,” says CAS spokesperson Sarah Jackson.

“There are growing bodies of evidence showing how damaging that can be.”

CAS recently attracted criticism  after a drone used by the group  to film the opening of duck shooting season at Lake Ellesmere was shot down by a hunter.

“The pilot had his licence to fly the drone and was well within his rights,” Jackson said.

She also voiced concerns about the Predator Free 2050 strategy and the potential to add more species to the pest list – which could include feral cats.

“We want to advocate for non-lethal methods of managing introduced species,” she said.

Bailey, however, says public perception around feral cats is shifting.

“People are realising feral cats are a big issue and have become desensitised,” he says. “The eyes of the country are open. You see feral cats being killed on TV, and where once it would have been an issue, now no one cares.”

Far from being deterred by protest, Bailey welcomes it.

“We are looking forward to the protesters coming — it’s become a great attraction for the competition,” he said.

“Plus, it’s great entertainment for the kids.”

While the cat section of the competition has attracted the most controversy, feral cats are reportedly impacting vulnerable native wildlife across the South Island.

Last year, one wild cat made it onto an island in the Clarence River and wiped out a large black-fronted tern colony over a single weekend.

They're also blamed for harming kea, native bats, and skinks, and spreading toxoplasmosis — a parasite that can infect sheep, humans, and even dolphins through waterways.