Feral cats are a growing menace to the quality of life in Hawaii. Take Magic Island, for example. It is home to native birds and the occasional monk seal that should be protected lest they suffer the same fate of the nene gosling that died in Hilo earlier this month from a parasite found in feral cat feces.

When I started walking around Magic Island in 2010, only five feral cats sheltered in pukas inside the breakwater on the Diamond Head side. Sweet little old ladies watered and fed them. They swore the cats were treated humanely and spayed to keep the population even. But the cat numbers slowly grew, and today, at least 100 feral cats are found on the beaches, lawns and picnic sites.

Perhaps it is time to reexamine our policies. By all means, treat feral cats humanely. But what about the public’s right to clean, healthy parks?

Jay Henderson

Ala Moana

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