Maui mayor launches effort to curb feral cats, chickens

One Maui woman has bags under her eyes from being kept awake at night by noisy cats. Another frequently chases wild chickens from a tree on her property.

Then there are Valley Isle environmentalists, who worry that feral cats and chickens might kill or harm endangered native wildlife.

In an effort to address problems tied to roaming cats and chickens, Mayor Alan Ara­kawa, in partnership with Maui Humane Society and the Humane Society of the United States, will hold a forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the J. Walter Cameron Center Auditorium in Wai­luku. Leading the discussion will be a group of visiting wildlife scientists and Humane Society officials.

On the mainland, cats that live in the wild or pets allowed to roam outdoors kill from 1.4 billion to 3.7 billion birds annually, according to a study published in January by Peter Marra of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. Feral cats alone account for 952 million to 3.1 billion bird deaths a year, Marra and colleagues estimate.

For wild mammals like mice, the toll is between 6.9 billion and 20.7 billion annually, they said.

"We do have a culture of complacency, allowing cats outdoors," said Inga Gibson, Hawaii representative to the Humane Society of the United States. "We don’t think of them as we think of dogs."

In a survey of Hawaii residents, 19 percent said they owned a cat, Gibson said.

Some groups in Hawaii support controlling feral cat populations by catching the animals, spaying them and releasing them back in the wild. But such efforts have not been as effective as hoped for in some remote areas on Maui, such as Iao Valley, because people continue to leave cats there, said Joce­lyn Bou­chard, chief executive officer of the Maui Humane Society.

"We really don’t have a handle on the number of cats," Bou­chard said. "It’s totally anecdotal."

Estimates range between 40,000 and 60,000, while guesses top out at about 500,000, she said.

Bouchard said the feral population will be more manageable if cat owners keep their pets inside.

On the matter of feral chickens, Humane Society officials point to other communities in which populations are controlled by stocking feeders with a nontoxic chemical, micarbazine, that prevents eggs from hatching.

Gibson said micarbazine has also been used on pigeons, reducing an individual bird population by as much as 60 percent.

"The birds need to be given it every day," Gibson said. "It’s not permanent sterilization."

Officials said micarbazine isn’t licensed for use on feral chickens in Hawaii.

Rob Parsons, Maui County environmental coordinator, said controlling populations of feral felines and fowl would help protect endangered species. Some native birds, such as the uau, or Hawaiian petrel, nest in burrows, vulnerable to attacks from cats.

One-third of the birds on the federal endangered species list are native to Hawaii. The 34 Hawaii bird species listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service include the Maui akepa; the Hawaiian coot; the Molokai creeper; the crested honeycreeper, or ako­he­kohe; the nene; the nukupuu (last seen in 1996); the poouli; and the Maui parrotbill.

Both the sleepless woman and the chicken chaser complained to either the county or the Humane Society to no avail. In the second case the owner of the property where the chickens came from said they were not hers.

The residents’ frustration has become increasingly typical as problems persist.

In a news release announcing the forum, Ara­kawa said, "Feral chickens and cats have become a significant problem in our community, and both residents and visitors are impacted by the effects of these feral populations. However, each feral group pre­sents unique challenges and it is imperative that well-researched control methods are employed in a strategic and humane manner. It is my hope that this discussion will lead to workable solutions."

Public testimony will be accepted at the meeting, and the public is also encouraged to email questions in advance to communications@mauicounty.gov.