© Hob Osterlund
Kauaʻi is the last stronghold for the endangered Koloa Maoli (Anas wyvilliana), one of two endemic duck species in Hawaiʻi. Their population is very small, so people are fortunate to be able to see these birds frequently on the island. Caring for Koloa is an immense kuleana (responsibility), and partners are working on Kauaʻi to find innovative ways to protect this species.
Pacific Birds and the Kauaʻi Humane Society (KHS) recently hosted an ‘Indoor Cat Enrichment’ Workshop, aimed at encouraging Kauaʻi’s cat lovers to keep their cats indoors. The event was attended by twenty people who learned tips and tricks to keep indoor cats healthy and happy. The group also discussed how keeping cats indoors protects endangered birds including the Koloa Maoli and the ʻalaeʻula or Hawaiian Common Gallinule (Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis), both of which have very low populations of approximately 1,000 birds each.
At the workshop, KHS staff shared how cats benefit from life indoors. As Director Nicole Schafer Crane stated, “Indoor cats are protected from car accidents, being attacked by other animals, diseases and parasites, getting lost, and accidentally ingesting poisons." KHS provided ideas on how to connect cats to the outdoors without letting them loose, including how to build catios and set up mesh tents. Helen Raine of Pacific Birds shared, “This was a great opportunity to have a conversation about the benefits of keeping cats indoors, and we are excited about the prospect of better protecting some of the rarest waterbirds in the world. Kauaʻi is the only island which still has Koloa that have not hybridized with introduced domestic mallards, and is one of only two islands in Hawaiʻi where ʻalaeʻula are still present.”
Attendees went home with a ‘cat garden’ kit from Pacific Birds, which contained soil, seeds and instructions to grow catnip and a variety of grasses that cats like to graze on. KHS also raffled off a cat tower designed to keep indoor cats entertained.
To keep up the momentum about keeping cats indoors, Pacific Birds and KHS are planning a virtual follow up event for people that could not attend the May in-person event. We want to keep spreading the word for a Cat & Wildlife Safe Kauaʻi.
