To feed or not feed the cats.

That has been the perpetual debate between conservationists who say feeding feral cats, considered an invasive predator of native birds in Hawaii, is a problem, while animal advocates say it is not, and is in fact a management strategy for cat colonies.

State officials are now proposing changes to existing state laws that include a ban on feeding indigenous wildlife or domestic animals — including feral cats – on state parks and lands.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said these changes, among others, are intended to strengthen protections for indigenous wildlife in Hawaii.

DLNR said feeding wildlife the wrong food can sicken or kill them, increase risks of disease from their exposure to other animals congregating at feeding areas. Thus, the agency wants to put rules in place that include inadvertently feeding them by leaving food out for cats, for example.

Among other proposed changes are a ban on abandoning any wild or domestic animals on department lands, and addition of habitat degradation as a form of harm to indigenous wildlife.

DLNR also wants to expand its protections to cover indigenous wildlife, defined as wildlife occurring or living naturally in Hawaii without being brought by humans, including migratory birds.

For and against

At a public hearing held by DLNR on Thursday, most of the testimony focused around cats and birds.

Conservation groups say the ban is long overdue as feral cats continue to prey on native bird species, while animal advocates, including those participating in trap-neuter-release programs, say it does not actually address cat overpopulation in the islands.

Jay Penniman, a wildlife biologist on Maui, testified in support of the proposed changes, to help restore imperiled species.

As a longtime manager of the Maui Nui Seabird Recovery Project and chair of a working group on toxoplasmosis and at-large cats, he noted the latter are the “obligate host” of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii that cause toxoplasmosis.

Recently, he noted, the death of a 1-year-old monk seal, ‘Umi‘umi, was due to toxoplasmosis.

Penniman said the oocysts or eggs of the parasite are shed in cat feces, which can survive for a year or longer in the environment.

“Cats are the only source of these capsules of disease, but seals, dolphins and nene have all been documented dying from toxoplasmosis, and the disease infects humans as well,” said Penniman in his testimony. “Getting cats off the landscape is a first step to limiting the spread of the disease.”

But the Hawaiian Humane Society and Hawaii Animal Advocacy opposed DLNR’s proposed rule changes, particularly for the management of cat colonies through trap- neuter-return strategies.

Stephanie Kendrick of the Hawaiian Humane Society, testified in strong opposition to the changes.

“Most of our concern is around 13-124 3.6, which would effectively ban humane, free-roaming cat management on DLNR property,” she said, “and would allow the department to destroy any animal found at large on those properties without regard to ownership – so basically, starving cats and killing stray pets.”

To kill the animals would be cruel, she said, particularly when they are there due to abandonment by people.

Feeding bans have never proven to be effective for reducing free-roaming cat populations, she said.

“You’re going to wind up with more cats on DLNR property, because they’ll be unmanaged; diseased cats because they won’t have a human food source; and breeding cats, because they won’t be trapped for spay neuters,” she testified. “So I would implore the department to not keep taking the same approach, which has failed time and time again, to a complicated issue, and instead work with the community that stands ready to help reduce this population because we all want fewer cats on the landscape.”

Separately, she told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser the Society also discourages people from feeding wild animals, but the proposed bans are a “wrong-headed approach.”

This “punitive, lethal control” approach toward free-roaming cats has never been successful, she said, while volunteers are willing to help get them vaccinated, spayed and neutered.

“Population reduction is going to take time, no matter what strategy you employ,” she said. “But spaying and neutering as many cats as possible, which is our goal, is going to contribute to reducing that population.”

She is also concerned about impacts on pets that get lost and wander onto a state-owned beach park. With the rule changes, she said, DLNR would have the authority to kill that animal — whether it be a cat or dog – without any regards to ownership or efforts to scan a microchip.

Birds vs. cats

Though the rules refer to all domestic animals, the disagreement seems to have become a birds versus cats battle.

The American Bird Conservancy said the changes are necessary to protect native birds.

“It’s been demonstrated repeatedly that cats are predators of our native birds,” said Chris Farmer, ABC’s Hawaii program director. “Even after they have been neutered and released back into these colonies, they will still kill lots of native birds. And so having the ability to prohibit the feeding of the species on state lands is really important to protecting our birds.”

Additionally, he said reducing feral cats on the landscape will help protect Hawaii’s watershed from the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis.

The new rules follow a scenario that played out years ago at Queen Lili‘uokalani Park & Gardens in Hilo.

In May 2024, DLNR cited a 66-year-old woman for putting cat food out at the park, which are incidentally consumed by nene.

State officials said a gosling died at the park, with a post-mortem exam confirming it was due to toxoplasmosis. Later that year, in October, DLNR said a male nene banded as “595” was struck and killed by a car while crossing a road at the park to get to the cat food.

Hawaii County has since passed a ban on the feeding of feral or stray animals on county property.

Animal advocates say they agree with DLNR on greater protections for indigenous wildlife, as they love all animals.

But Greg Baker, director of Hawai‘i Animal Advocacy, questioned how the new rules equate feeding a cat with causing bird predation.

“Being somewhere in a chain of events is not automatically the same as legally causing everything that happens afterwards,” he said. “For community cats, feeding a cat is not itself bird predation.”

He also questioned DLNR’s authorization to implement such rules and their potential to undermine existing humane colony management practices.

“I’m also deeply concerned about what happens if feeding is prohibited (for) existing managed colonies,” he testified. “Stopping food does not sterilize cats, which stabilizes their population. It does not stop abandonment, reproduction, or new cats from arriving. It can also undermine the caretakers who track, sterilize, monitor, and identify newcomers, critical to reducing numbers.”

He added, “We support managed cats, not unmanaged cats.”

Other changes

DLNR is also proposing that the definition of “take,” which means to harm, harass or kill an endangered, threatened or indigenous animal, expand to include degradation of that animal’s habitat.

The move was lauded by conservation groups as a step in the right direction.

Farmer said many indigenous birds depend on their current habitat for survival, and destroying or modifying their habitat by, for example, building a new subdivision, will harm them.

Farmer also said he welcomed extending protections to all indigenous wildlife, which would include species like the Laysan albatross (moli) or wedge-tailed shearwater (uau kani) and some forest birds that are not classified as endangered but face numerous threats.

On Kauai, more than 160 dead shearwaters were recently found dead near Shipwreck Beach in Poipu. Experts from Archipelago Research and Conservation surveyed the carcasses, and determined cats were the predators.

DLNR said aquatic animals, such as Hawaiian monk seals, are not subject to the proposed rules as they fall under the purview of the Department of Aquatic Resources.

The nonprofits Earthjustice and the Center for Biological Diversity also supported the intent of the proposed amendments, with suggestions on wording to ensure they are effective at protecting Hawaii’s indigenous wildlife.

Written testimony on DLNR’s proposed rule changes will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 26 at dlnr.hawaii.gov/dofaw/comment or by U.S. Postal Service Mail.

DLNR’S proposed changes

To be prohibited

• Feeding of any wildlife or domestic animal on department lands unless the domestic animal is crated, contained or leashed.

• Abandoning any wildlife, domestic animal, plant or aquatic life on department lands. Domestic animals will not permitted on department lands (unless crated, contained or leashed). Any domestic animal or wildlife found running at large on department lands may be impounded or destroyed (except authorized hunting dogs).

• Distribution or sale of plants, equipment, or other goods with injurious wildlife, such as coconut rhinoceros beetles, present.

• Riding horses unless authorized by law on department lands.

To be added

• Adding habitat modification or degradation that injures or kills indigenous wildlife, threatened and endangered species to the definition of “take.”

• Adding the Hawaiian yellow-faced bee (nalo meli maoli), Hawaiian damselfly (pinpapinao) and loggerhead sea turtle to the list of endangered wildlife in Hawaii.

Source: DLNR