Question: Does anybody know how many feral cats there are on Oahu? Does anybody count them? Sadly, we see cats that have been hit by cars, which upsets my children. There is a colony in our area, and the lady who feeds them does keep track of them and gets them fixed, but she has no idea how many cats there are on the rest of the island.
Answer: A precise number is not known, but the state Department of Land and Natural Resources has cited an estimate of 196,227 to 265,179 feral cats on Oahu, based on information from Nene Research and Conservation, a Big Island- based nonprofit organization that has mapped more than 900 cat colonies across the state, according to its website, nene.org. Locations of specific colonies are not publicly disclosed, to prevent cats from being abused; the detailed mapping is used to manage the cat colonies and to protect wildlife habitats threatened by the cats, the website says.
The Hawaiian Humane Society says on its website that “O‘ahu has a large and visible population of free-roaming cats,” but doesn’t specify a number. The nonprofit, which supports Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage to reduce the population over time, has a call out for volunteers to help with the many newborns it receives this time of year. It says on its website, at 808ne.ws/kitten, “Join our trained force of neonate foster volunteers that we affectionately call the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee!”
Meanwhile, the DLNR announced Friday that a long-sought cat sanctuary is one step closer to becoming a reality on Oahu, where stray cats could live safely and securely behind cat-proof fencing, without threatening the health of native birds, marine mammals and other wildlife elsewhere on the island — and without being harmed themselves, by motor vehicles, cruel acts and lack of food or water. The success of the Lanai Cat Sanctuary helped pave the way for the Oahu project, which is in the very early stages.
The Honolulu nonprofit organization Popoki Place (popokiplace.org) “received approval from the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to begin conducting due diligence to use 20 acres of land on O‘ahu’s North Shore for the island’s first sanctuary for feral and homeless cats,” the DLNR said in a news release.
Popoki Place was granted a three-month right of entry next to the former Crawford Convalescent Home to determine whether the agriculture- zoned property is suitable for use as a cat sanctuary, the news release said, noting that the ROE is for due-diligence activities such as research, data collection, surveys and mapping — it “does not allow for any construction or ground-disturbing activities.”
If the location is viable, the nonprofit must comply with environmental laws (Chapter 343) and other rules before returning to the BLNR to request a lease from the state, the news release said.
The proposed sanctuary would include fenced enclosures, a spay-neuter medical clinic, caretaker housing, a visitor center, parking, utilities and an approved wastewater system.
Popoki Place Oahu Cat Sanctuary “will have multiple large enclosures surrounded by secure fencing in a lush setting. Cats will feel like they are free-roaming but cannot escape the enclosure and will have all of their needs met,” according to the the nonprofit’s website, which says it would focus on housing cats that previously lived near protected habitat.
BLNR Chair Dawn Chang “expressed a willingness to consider use of state public lands for a cat sanctuary that could be available to house cat colonies found near sensitive coastal and forest reserves,” where cats threaten endangered species, the news release said. “Cats impact protected wildlife by direct predation and by spreading a deadly disease, Toxoplasmosis. The sanctuary would provide a win-win for the welfare of feral cats and native wildlife.”
Q: Is there a place to take a dead bird to be tested for bird flu? We found a dead bird at the edge of our yard with no signs of being mauled by a larger animal and no other visible source of harm. The remains are securely packaged, and we will dispose of them with other waste products but are also wondering if any office or authority should be asked.
A: Here’s what the state Department of Health says on its website: “Do not touch sick or dead birds. Residents are encouraged to report sick or dead birds, especially when multiple or unusual. Please contact Animal Industry Division at Hawaii Department of Agriculture at 808-483-7102 during Monday to Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 808-837-8092 during non-business hours and holidays.” For more information, go to 808ne.ws/4fS9k3u.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
