Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 12/5/05 Section: Editorials

Media Credit: Photo by Karis Lo * Ka Leo O Hawai'i Tortie, 9, is being fed by Flora at UHM. Photo by Karis Lo * Ka Leo O Hawai'i [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Photo by Karis Lo * Ka Leo O Hawai'i A rock pigeon chick rests in volunteer Maile Thompson's hands after being fed. Photo by Karis Lo * Ka Leo O Hawai'i [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Photo by Karis Lo * Ka Leo O Hawai'i Five baby Java Finches wait to be fed. The birds were brought in by a homeowner who found them abandoned. Photo by Karis Lo * Ka Leo O Hawai'i [Click to enlarge]

The University of Hawai'i at Manoa is not only home to students but a large population of birds and cats as well. These animals share a campus with us and add a special feel that other schools sometimes lack. The birds make the campus come alive with song and activity, while the cats keep the rodent population in check and, every once in a while, give a passerby an opportunity to pet them. For these reasons and others, our animal population deserves a helping hand every now and then.

For years, the cat community has been an integral part of UHM. Because there are so many of them, there has also been a great deal of controversy about what type of management strategy should be used to deal with them. At one point in UHM's history, many cats were euthanized to lower the population. This strategy backfired because it resulted in a population surge of destructive rodents. It was realized that the cats needed to be effectively managed and not eliminated all together.

The Hawai'i Cat Foundation, in conjunction with the Humane Society, provided the answer. Its Trap-Neuter-Return feral cat management program works to reduce numbers without harming the cats. The program depends on volunteers to trap any stray cats that they, find take them to the Humane Society, where the cats are examined and spayed or neutered, and a microchip is implanted under the skin to provide permanent identification. The volunteers then agree to release the cats and provide food and care for them. Since the program began, over 90 percent of the cat population living at UHM has the characteristic notch on one ear that shows they are sterilized. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers all over campus, the cats are being fed and sick cats are being treated.

The benefit of this program to UHM is enormous. Well-fed cats are less likely to dig through trash and become a problem. The other benefit of feeding the cats is that it allows the volunteer looking after the cats to identify and capture any that look sick or hurt so they can receive treatment. This keeps the cat population healthy and lowers the risk of disease.

Volunteers here on campus come as early as five in the morning to feed and care for the cats. These are people who love their animals, know their names and ages, and give a large part of their lives to them.

Not only the cats have loving people looking after them. The birds of UHM and the rest of O'ahu also have their guardian angels. The Wild Bird Rehab Haven, a non-profit group located in Puck's Alley, dedicates its time to caring for wild birds that need help. The haven has a myriad of birds that it cares for, including Mina Birds, Zebra Doves, Pacific Golden-Plovers and Java finches.

The organization cares for hurt and displaced birds, whether they're adult birds struck by cars, or chicks pulled from nests by predators, and can be found in the small office that is home to the bird haven. People who find hurt birds are instructed to put the bird in box lined with paper towels, keep it warm, and take it to the haven as soon as possible.

The amount of time, money and love that volunteers give to our animals is tremendous. These people deserve our encouragement, praise and help to keep them going. If you see a cat that doesn't have a notch on its ear, or a bird that needs help, please take a few minutes to do something good for our animal population. Call a volunteer who can help you or even become one yourself.

Barbara Ikeda, cat caretaker, can be reached at (808)734-3358.
The Wild Bird Rehab Haven can be reached at (808)447-9274 or www.wildbirdrehabhaven.org

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