FOR CAT LOVERS, THIS HAWAIIAN SANCTUARY IS HEAVEN

FOR CAT LOVERS, THIS HAWAIIAN SANCTUARY IS HEAVEN

The main draws of the Hawaiian island of Lana’i are its treks along the ridge, palm palms, tropical cocktails, and snorkeling. However, my family and a few other people arrived lately for very opposite reasons: pets.Our goal was the 25,000 square foot outdoor environment of the Lana’i Cat Sanctuary, an open-air refuge where close to 500 cats roam freely. Seven days a week, anyone can come visit the shelter to socialize with the cats. Many of the cats are even offered for adoption; if you decide against adopting an animal, you can “adopt-in-place” and receive information from the center on your cat’s development on a regular basis.

Inside the seven-foot fence, the area is dotted with a variety of cat boxes, pipes, tall grasses, and other areas on which the kitties can play. One fenced-in section, dubbed Kittengarden, is for kittens; another area, where the animals eat, is referred to as the Catfurteria (the latter was my daughters’ favorite).

Courtesy of Lana’i Cat Santuary

Giant litterboxes are full of mulched needles from the island’s Cook pines. And for the cat haters among you, get this: It doesn’t smell, largely because staff members scoop droppings all day long.

The man behind this magic is Executive Director Keoni Vaughn. A native Hawaiian, Vaughn came into the job after years as an animal cop. He likens the luxurious facility to the “Furr Seasons,” a play on the Four Seasons’ brand. This is fitting, since Four Seasons Lanai sends many of its visitors to take the 30-minute drive from Hulopo‘e Bay and check things out.

As Vaughn explains it, the Sanctuary got started back in 2004 amid local efforts to remove feral cats from the wilds of Lana‘i because of the way they were threatening native birds. Once these animals were trapped humanely, they came to stay at the Sanctuary, which later expanded to accept abandoned animals, as well. All of the animals are spayed or neutered when they arrive (if they haven’t had those procedures previously). And all of the “residents” receive unlimited food and water, shelter, and regular medical treatment from a veterinarian who flies out from Oahu twice a month.

Visiting the attraction is like walking into the Wanda Gag children’s book, Millions of Cats. There are cats here, and cats there. Cats, cats everywhere!

Just when you think you’ve spotted all of them, one might leap in front of your face. Or scratch your shin. Or meow as it follows you around. One might even spot a (real, live) praying mantis and begin batting it like a toy.

FOR CAT LOVERS, THIS HAWAIIAN SANCTUARY IS HEAVEN

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