Tag Archives: Hawaii Animal Kuleana Alliance

The Cats and Birds of Waikoloa (Part 3) In the News Mid-June 2023

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Waikoloa Cats 2022 – Photo by Paula Nixon

Front page news on Wednesday:

Charges Dismissed in Waikoloa Cat-Feeding Case by John Burnett – West Hawaii Today (June 14, 2023)

Great news for Nancy Charles-Parker and Ferol Kolons, cited for giving water and food to cats at Queens’ Marketplace on April 18th after a feeding ban had been put in place to protect endangered nēnē that had discovered the cats’ feeding stations.

Charles-Parker and Kolons were represented pro bono by their attorney, Susan Regeimbal, who agreed with Deputy Prosecutor Matthew Woodward when he moved to dismiss the case. He was quoted as saying “. . . the vast majority of cats have been relocated.”

Funds had been raised for both women’s legal defense by Kohala Animal Relocation and Education Services (KARES) and the founder of the organization, Debbie Cravatta, quoted in the article, stated “that money will go to animal rescue, pet food for shelters, spay neuter, veterinary services for stray animals, etc.”

That is good news for cats, but it doesn’t solve the problem of the Queens’ Marketplace cats. Although a West Hawaii Today article last week said that 64 cats had been adopted, the two rescue groups—AAO and HAKA—doing lots of hard work to capture, spay/neuter, vaccinate, and rehome the felines estimated there were still about 100 remaining. One hundred cats that aren’t getting food or water.

The rescue groups have said they will begin trapping again once they have more adopters lined up.

Thanks to West Hawaii Today for continuing to report on this story as it develops.

Local television station KITV 4 Island News broadcast the story linked below back in May. It takes a look at a group of volunteers caring for a colony of cats in Hilo, on the other side of the Big Island.

Advocates call for solution to big island feral cat feeding ban by Jeremy Lee – KITV 4 Island News (May 7, 2023)

The Cats and Birds of Waikoloa (Part 2) In the News Early June 2023

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Good news and bad news in West Hawaii Today this week. This article was on the front page a couple of days ago.

Relocation of cats ‘going well so far’: Animal rescue effort finds homes for Waikoloa felines by Kelsey Walling – West Hawaii Today (June 6, 2023)

According to this story 64 cats have been captured at Queens’ Marketplace. They were spayed/neutered and vaccinated before going to adopters who will kennel the cats for a period of time until the felines become used to their new surroundings. Two rescue groups worked together on this first phase, Aloha Animal Oasis (AAO) and Hawaii Animal Kuleana Alliance (HAKA), and will resume trapping as they find homes for the cats. These groups need volunteers, donations, and of course, adopters!

This letter to the editor published yesterday June 7, 2023. Mr. Chraminski volunteers with AdvoCATS so he has firsthand experience with feeding and caring for a colony of cats.

Cat issue’ spreads

The feral cat issue has reached Keauhou Shopping Center area.

The AdvoCATS group has been leading cat feeders as part of their catch/neuter/ release program, and in the six years I have been a feeder, the population has declined — except not as fast as it should due to irresponsible cat owners dumping cats there.

Now Kamehameha Schools, the property owner, and mall management are making it a trespassing crime to continue feeding the cats.

Their solution is that now the 30 or so cats will wander the whole mall, starving, looking for handouts, and management will then scrape up the carcasses, I guess.

Where is all the animal-control money just allocated going, and why are they not leading to solutions including for cats, mongooses, pigs and goats that run feral all over town now?

Even trapping and euthanizing is more humane than starvation.

Stanley Chraminski Kailua-Kona

I’ll leave it at that for now.