Waipa Cat of the Year 2026 — Competition Terms

The important bits. If anything's unclear, email [email protected].

1. The competition

Waipa Cat of the Year 2026 (the "Competition") is run by 3 Stone Vets and its Moggy Manor cattery (the "Organiser"), with King Tide, and is not affiliated with Bird of the Year or Forest & Bird.
Entering the Competition means you accept these terms.

Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Under-18s may take part with a parent or guardian entering on their behalf.
The cat entered must live in the Waipa district.
One entry per cat. The Organiser may remove duplicate or ineligible entries.
Staff of 3 Stone Vets, Moggy Manor and King Tide (and their immediate families) may enter for fun but are not eligible to win prizes.

Entries open 8 September 2026 and close 11:59pm on 12 October 2026.
To enter, submit the entry form with your cat's details, a photo or video, and your answers.
You confirm that you own the rights to any photo or video you submit, that it features your own cat, and that you have permission from anyone shown in it.
Keep it friendly — the Organiser may reject any entry it considers inappropriate, offensive or not in the spirit of the Competition, at its sole discretion.

After entries close, the Organiser selects 10 finalists based on the photo/video and answers. The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Finalists will be contacted and published on the 3 Stone Vets website and social media from around 17 October 2026.

The public votes for the winner from the 10 finalists between 17 and 31 October 2026 (voting closes 11:59pm).
Voting is intended as one vote per person. The Organiser uses reasonable measures to prevent duplicate or automated voting and reserves the right to disqualify votes it believes are fraudulent, and to confirm the final result at its discretion.
The winner and placings are announced on 1 November 2026.

First place (Cat of the Year): a golden collar and a tiny hat; one free stay at Moggy Manor to be used any time within 12 months of the win, subject to availability and normal cattery conditions; NZ$250 cash; and a feature in local media (media coverage is not guaranteed).
Second place: NZ$100 cash. Third place: NZ$50 cash.
Prizes are not transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash except where stated. If a prize becomes unavailable, the Organiser may substitute a prize of similar value.
The winner's cat must be a real, living Waipa cat. Prizes may be withheld if entry information is found to be false.

By entering, you grant 3 Stone Vets, Moggy Manor and King Tide a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use your submitted photo/video, your cat's name and your first name in connection with the Competition — on the website, social media and in local media — without further payment.
You can ask us to remove your entry from public display at any time by emailing [email protected].

We collect your contact details only to run the Competition and contact finalists and winners. We won't sell your details. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle personal information.

The Organiser may amend these terms or cancel the Competition if something outside its control makes it necessary; any changes will be posted on this page.
These terms are governed by New Zealand law.