Letter: Feral cats aplenty pose risk to endangered seals

Regarding your April 29 editorial, “Stop Feeding Feral Cats”: Three times in the past year I’ve observed highly endangered monk seals resting on Ala Moana Beach and at the Magic Island lagoon. Unfortunately, an abundance of feral cats less than 100 yards away on Magic Island sharply increased the danger the seals were in. Feral cats host toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease that can kill a seal.

It’s ironic that the animal-loving people who feed and water the cats are inadvertently putting the monk seals at risk, not to mention birds. Until six months ago, these individuals put out food only on the Diamond Head side. When a couple of new litters arrived and the number exploded, they began setting out bowls on the Ewa side, raising the danger to other animals.

Plus there is literally no place on Magic Island anymore where picnickers can escape the flies that thrive on cat feces. We all love cats. But their place is not in the wild.

Jay Henderson

Ala Moana

EXPRESS YOURSELF

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser welcomes all opinions. Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor.

>> Write us: We welcome letters up to 150 words, and guest columns of 500-600 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Include your name, address and daytime phone number.

>> Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Advertiser 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite #7-500 Honolulu, HI 96813

>> Contact: 529-4831 (phone), letters@staradvertiser.com, staradvertiser.com/editorial/submit-letter