A village in New Zealand has announced plans to ban cats, drawing a furious response from some feline fans.

The measure was unveiled by local officials of Omaui, a small community on the country's South Island, as a way to protect the area's native bird life.

Under its Pest Management Plan, which was opened for consultation on Tuesday, residents would be required to desex, microchip and register their domestic cats with Environment Southland.

They would then not be allowed to replace them when they die.

"There's cats getting into the native bush; they're preying on native birds, they're taking insects, they're taking reptiles - all sorts of things," biosecurity operations manager Ali Meade said, according to Newshub. "They're doing quite a bit of damage."