Placing a cap of four cats per household and micro-chipping and registering cats are proposed actions Tauranga City Council can take to help change the city's domestic ownership culture.

Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre trustee Liza Scheider says the city has an overwhelming stray cat issue that the ARRC Wildlife Trust wants more council help with.

ARRC Wildlife Trust founder Liza Schneider and manager Sue Mackey.

If the council acts, Tauranga could be the first city in the country to introduce cat controls, she told Monday's city council Community Development Committee.

'Wellington's been given similar submissions. We could be first, or Wellington,” says Liza.

The Trust currently receives about $2000 a year from the city council, plus $3000 from BOP Regional council, some assistance from DOC and local vets and the public. Last year it removed about 650 stray cats off the streets.

In 2013 the Trust spent $80,000 on the stray cat problem – 50 per cent subsidised by the business Holistic Vets.

This year the amount is expected to be $120,000 and the Trust wants the Tauranga City Council to become the first in the country to take the steps to make the cat issue a sustainable one.

Liza describes people with more than 20 cats as cat hoarders, and went on to describe how ARRC has been working on large cat colonies in the Western Bay of Plenty including one at Apata that involved more than 80 cats, and another up Omanawa involving more than 100 cats.

The cost is incurred in trapping and dealing with each cat individually. Most of the cats are malnourished, many are sick and injured. Shooting them won't encourage responsible pet ownership, says Liza.

Holistic Vets this year started its own television series called M.A.D Vets 24/7 showing the work of the Holistic Vets and ARRC team and the lives of the animals and the people who care for them.

It began showing in March on TV Central, Country TV, and Sky Cue 200.

Liza is also looking at building a new $5 million environmentally sustainable veterinary centre in the next few years.

She has the backing of property developer Paul Adams from Carrus Corporation, who accompanied the ARRC delegation to the committee meeting. They are looking for a suitable piece of land about a half to one hectare in grass.

The centre is envisaged as a training and educational centre offering education about responsible animal ownership and providing an extended area for the Trust's rehab work with injured wildlife.