Dozens of cats, some sick, roam ramshackle Christchurch mansion

Monday, 14 April 2025

Locals have raised concerns about roaming cats at derelict Christchurch mansion Antonio Hall.

One neighbour estimated there were 50 cats at the property.

The SPCA said it was concerned about the wellbeing of the cats, some of which were sick, but a sign on the property fence claimed they were “fed twice a day and are loved”.

Cats can be seen roaming the site of derelict Christchurch mansion Antonio Hall from the busy thoroughfare that is Riccarton Rd, causing concern among locals.

And, worried about the cats’ welfare after her daughter saw them on the road at night, Melanie Rees-Thomas decided to act.

Stuff reported last week that neighbours felt “something must be done” about Antonio Hall, which has a long history of fires, break-ins and was eventually deemed dangerous and insanitary by the city council.

Neighbour Anne Hunt estimated there were about 50 cats roaming the ramshackle property.

Rees-Thomas said she thought the cats were stray as they seemed hungry and contacted a cat rescue organisation who said they would be able to take some of the cats in if Rees-Thomas could catch them.

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She went to the property with traps she had borrowed from the rescue. There, she said she could see “50 wee eyes looking up” through the fence.

But, Rees-Thomas said, the caretaker was on site and told her the cats were his pets and were “well-loved”.

A sign on the fence of the property asks the public not to feed the cats or call them to the gate, to prevent them from going on the road.

“They get fed twice a day, and are loved,” the sign read.

Rees-Thomas said she thought it was “very strange and quite cruel” to have so many cats living in the abandoned building. She also feared the cats would be hit by cars alongside a busy road.

SPCA inspectorate team leader Brittany Weatherley said SPCA was concerned about the number of cats living at the property and their wellbeing.

She said it was working with the caretaker to “help manage the situation”, which included efforts to desex the cats and reduce their numbers.

Weatherly said SPCA was aware that some of the cats were sick and it was “actively working” with the caretaker to catch and treat those animals.

“The situation is challenging due to the difficulty in handling the cats, but we are committed to improving their care and reducing their numbers,” she said.

When Stuff told property consultant Murray Withers, who acted as a spokesperson for the property owners, the Chiu family, about the cats in late March he said he was not aware of them but it was “of concern” to him.

Later, in response to Rees-Thomas’ concerns, Withers said he had raised the issue with the owners, who were based in Taiwan.

But, he said he had not raised it with urgency and was yet to receive a response from them.

Withers said he understood the neighbours’ concerns and would “address the issue”.

“I just don’t agree that there should be so many cats there,” Rees-Thomas said. “We still want to help to get some of them out.”

“There are little kittens that deserve loving homes.

“It breaks my heart. It’s getting colder. It’s getting colder by the minute.”