Why ban feeding of feral cats?
My wife and I are 20-year residents of the Big Island. We moved to the Fairways at Mauni Lani 3.5 years ago. We started walking to The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii every morning to have coffee and a pastry. We noticed there was a small group of feral cats that were hanging around the kiosk right next to the hotel. We were informed they were a nuisance, so after much work and a lot of love, we were able to get them out into parking lot to feed them.
All these kitties are spayed and neutered. The ones that weren’t, we caught them and Advocats spayed or neutered them. Now the cats were being fed by the hotel guests at the kiosk and that’s when we coaxed and got them further out into parking lot.
For the last three years, my wife and I get up at 3 a.m. and feed them seven days a week. We feed them and water them and leave no trash. We do this out of our love and commitment. They have a right to live. We choose to do this early enough that there are no hotel guests around or cars driving around.
We were informed this morning that we’re no longer allowed to feed them per the hotel general manager. We have been observed by guests who were leaving to go on their daily excursions or to the airport and thanked us.
We are heartbroken. Our nine cats will be trapped and destroyed. Where is the hotel’s compassion?These cats have hurt no one and bring pleasure to so many.
Richard L. Rogers
Waikoloa