The Maui Goodness

One of our editors just stumbled upon a great article in Maui Weekly about the problems with cat overpopulation on Maui.

Some of the statistics claimed are:

• There are anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000 homeless cats on Maui.
• As many as 250 cats are euthanized EVERY MONTH at the Maui Humane Society.
• The organization of 9th Life Hawaii is expected to have reduced kitten births over the next 5 years by as much as 50,000!

Our previous stance was that people should be giving money to Maui Humane Society to help. We now realize that donations would be better put towards organizations like 9th Life Hawaii that are actively working towards “No-Kill” solutions to the kitty overpopulation. If you’re in favor of non-lethal neuter/spay programs, please contribute a few bucks to 9th Life Hawaii by calling (808) 572-3499. Phyllis Tavares is the executive director and can be easily reached if you’d like to donate, volunteer or just learn more.

Mahalo Phyllis and everyone else involved for putting so much time, energy, and love into reaching out to our troubled feline friends.

Donations can also be mailed to: 9th Life Hawaii P.O. Box 476 Makawao, HI 96768

Please read the comment from Candy Aluli.  She has some very insightful information on the Maui Humane Society.

The island of Maui, and all of the Hawaiian Islands, have a major cat problem. With no natural predators, and near-ideal conditions to live, feral cats are breeding rampantly all over. Without control over breeding, these kitty populations are growing exponentially. With rapid growth comes more collisions with vehicles, starvation, and disease.  The problem is becoming increasingly evident with regular feline casualties littering our roads.  (Driving in paradise can quickly become depressing.)  Though it’s a difficult task, the only possible solution is to spay and neuter all Maui feral cats. The bulk of the cats live primarily in inaccessible areas making any action by the Maui Humane Society extremely difficult.

The Axis deer population is also exploding on Maui. Originally, a handful of deer were brought to the island over 20 years ago. Now Herd populations are estimated at around 10,000 on Maui. Deer predators consist of hunters, cars, and feral dogs. Hunters are given the right to kill as many deer as they’d like, everyday of the year, except for Christmas. Though Axis deer are naturally resistant to most disease and parasites, they do carry risk of contaminating Maui’s watershed area by possibly passing livestock and human diseases. Crop damage has become a more regular problem as well as substantial damage to golf courses used as grazing areas at night. Endangered plants are also becoming more rare with the abundance of deer foraging.

Efforts are being made on many levels to control the deer population, but the kitty problem is being widely ignored. Contact the Maui Humane Society to see how you can help.  Call to volunteer at (808) 877-3680 Ext. 37 or Make a Donation.