11/15/25 #rescue #animals #mauihumanesociety

Cats have been a problem on Maui for years, and many people and organizations are dedicated to solving it. The numbers vary depending on the source, but according to the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project there are over 500,000 cats on Maui. According to Maui Humane Society, around 40,000 of these are feral cats that are damaging the ecosystem and hurting native species of birds. Like most other invasive species, cats were introduced to this island by humans, so it is our responsibility to help improve the situation and there’s easy ways that all of us can help! Many organizations are working together to address this problem, and there are several different approaches.

TNR: Trap Neuter Release

One important goal is to get as many of the feral cats as possible neutered and spayed so that they are no longer able to reproduce. This might seem like a very small drop in the ocean, but a single unspayed female cat can have up to 12 kittens in a single year. Meanwhile, a male can impregnate multiple females a day! Here is an infographic created by the Metro Nashville Animal Care and Control that shows the damage that just two cats can cause:

Here is another infographic created by SNYP Spay/Neuter Clinic:

 

This further highlights the importance of spaying cats, whether they are feral, indoor/outdoor, or even indoor-only pets that could escape and cause chaos on our already fragile ecosystem. If you see cats with tipped ears, they have likely been trapped, spayed/neutered, and released!

The more controversial part of the Trap Neuter Release program is releasing the cats back into the wild. This means that while the cats can no longer contribute to the rising population, they can still harm wildlife. I’d like to point out that when cats are trapped, it is common to try to get the friendly cats or kittens into rescues to find them homes, but some are just too feral and cannot live in a regular home. A lot of these TNR cats end up in cat colonies around the island, and there are often people who dedicate their time and paychecks to keeping these colony cats fed, monitored, and safe. 

If all the cats on Maui were neutered or spayed, the population would begin to decline, which would help the island in many ways, including protecting wildlife. 

Cats at Fancy Resorts: They Are Employees, Not Pests

Some of these TNR cats end up living their best lives at Maui’s fanciest resorts. Not all of these cats were invited to stay, but some do serve an important purpose: mouse and rat control! Some kitties are fed by hotel employees or guests, while others find scraps or survive on the rodents they catch. Overall, they can be helpful to keep around. They are usually friendly, but not friendly enough to walk into your hotel room or bother you at the pool. They stay on the sidelines and come out to hunt when you are in bed. If you’re a fan of Disneyland, then you’ll know about their feral cat colonies; if not, read about them here.

Even though these resort cats have their benefits, they still pose a threat to the wildlife, which is why some activists want them gone for good. A good local example is the Grand Wailea Resort in Wailea, home to 31 spayed/neutered, vaccinated adult cats. The problem is that there hasn’t been a proper solution to humanely removing these cats, since shelters are already overrun, and many landlords on Maui don’t allow tenants to have pets.

Shipping Cats Off-Island

Some organizations on Maui help local cats get adopted off-island. This means that they are sent directly to homes or shelters on the mainland. The Maui Cat Cafe does a lot of this type of work, which is why they are always looking for volunteers who can take a cat with them on their flight home from Maui to get the kitty to their new home on the mainland. This is my favorite solution because the cats get a happy home, and Maui has fewer cats roaming the island. However, this is also a drop in the bucket compared to the total number of cats here.

Why Can’t We Have a Sanctuary Like on Lana’i?

This is a question that I’ve naively asked a lot, and it’s not a novel idea. Based on the information from the Lanai Cat Sanctuary and Maui-based rescues, up to $10 million would be needed to set up and maintain such a sanctuary, and it would still only be able to house under 1,000 cats. While several billionaires and philanthropists have homes on Maui, none of them has stepped up to donate these funds.

What Can YOU Do?

It is hard to see how one person can make an impact, but if everyone thought this, nothing would be done. You can personally help Maui’s cat situation even if you don’t have money to give or room to adopt cats. One way is to volunteer your time at the Maui Humane Society or another animal care organization. Volunteers can do as little as clean litter boxes or play with the cats to help them get socialized, which gives them a much better chance of finding a forever home. 

Of course, fostering is also an option, and something I recently started doing. Surprisingly, you don’t need a lot of space or time to foster. While every organization has its own rules, I was finally convinced by the Kitten Lady to go for it. I am one of those people who has always said I can’t foster because I’m a softie who will want to adopt every cat. Well, I’ve already adopted four cats (and three dogs) and cannot have any more full-time, but I can still foster.

In fact, fostering means that you can help countless cats, while there is always a limit of how many you can adopt. Yes, it is hard to part with a foster, but those moments of sadness can change the entire course of a cat’s life. I’ve always said that I’m too selfish and sensitive, but I’m finally doing it through MHS, and you can try it too. I recommend trying it once – you will not be pressured into continuing, and it’s a great way to see if you can handle it!

Maui Cat Rescues & Organizations:

If I missed any organizations or important information, please leave a comment or reach out, and I will add whatever is needed.

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