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Question: We have trapped five or six cats on our property and taken them to the Hawaiian Humane Society. Before they will take the cat, they always ask to see our driver’s license and ask where we caught the cat. Then in a few days, the same cats are back. I know some cats have microchips and are returned to their owners, but if these are feral cats that are not adopted after they have been spayed or neutered, does the Hawaiian Humane Society ever return these cats to the same property they were taken from and release them?
Answer: The Hawaiian Humane Society says it does not release cats into the community.
“To do so would be considered irresponsible, inhumane and illegal under Hawaii’s abandonment law,” said spokeswoman Jacque LeBlanc.
When animals are brought in to the Humane Society, they are checked for a microchip and other forms of identification. They are returned to their owners, if claimed.
Otherwise, LeBlanc said, feral cats go through the same assessment as pet cats surrendered to the organization.
“Each animal is assessed for adoptability based on behavior and health,” she said. Cats that are healthy and suitable for homes are offered for adoption.
“We use our foster care program for cats that need additional socialization and health treatment to make more eligible for adoption,” LeBlanc said.
Last year, she said, the Humane Society placed more than 1,200 cats and kittens in foster care to make them eligible for adoption, which was a 22 percent increase from the year before.
The reality, however, is that not all are adopted. Those determined to be not adoptable are euthanized.
More on Submeters
Our Jan. 4 column dealt with the question of whether installing submeters would be a feasible way to cut sewer charges: is.gd/kokualine010412.
The city Department of Environmental Services cautioned that homeowners needed to balance the costs of installation and maintenance versus actual savings before making a decision.
Allan G. Schildknecht of Irrigation Hawaii Ltd. said a larger lot might justify a submeter but that he would recommend it only when installing a new system and/or when doing a major renovation to an existing system.
He noted that over the past five years, more efficient products have come on the market, including such “simple fixes” as inexpensive nozzles that use 30 percent less water; “smart controllers,” which monitor weather or soil moisture conditions and automatically adjust to the specific needs of the site; and “other improvements which will instantly prove to result in a greater savings to the homeowner than submetering their system.”
Schildknecht said the Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii has many suggestions on its website, landscapehawaii.org/waterconservation.asp.
Environmental Services does concur that submetering is not generally a good investment for most single-family residential customers, said Louise Kim McCoy, spokeswoman for the city administration.
“We clearly try to convey to residential customers that installing a submeter is an individual decision that should be weighed against the pay-back time,” she said. “Except for those with large lots and irrigation amounts that substantially exceed 18 percent of water use, any benefit from the submeter would be minimal, and the pay back time for the investment would be substantial.”
Mahalo
To Peter T. and his wife, a fine young couple from Waianae, for quickly coming to inquire about my condition after I fell in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. I was in a daze and unable to respond at that time, but I am greatly thankful for their concern. — Appreciative Senior
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