"Throngs of feral cats emerge from the shade of parked trucks and bushes as soon as the familiar Subaru Forester pulls into a dump on Hawaii's Big Island. They run after the vehicle to a certain meal - a gravy train that might not be around much longer. A Hawaii County law set to take effect at the start of the new year bans feeding feral animals on county property."
"But the measure doesn't sit well with many cat lovers, including the driver of the Subaru, Liz Swan, who has been feeding feral felines on the Big Island for 33 years. "I don't believe the cats should be exterminated at the expense of the nene," Swan said. "They're both living creatures." It's unclear how many feral cats - abandoned pets and their descendants - live on the Big Island. Estimates range well into the tens of thousands, with pockets of dense colonies supported by people."
A Hawaii County law set to take effect at the start of the new year bans feeding feral animals on county property. The ban aims to protect native species, including the endangered nene goose, from predation and disease risks tied to feral cats introduced by Europeans. Many longtime feeders oppose the ban, arguing it undermines trap-neuter-return efforts and forces hungry cats to hunt. An estimated tens of thousands of feral cats inhabit the Big Island, with dense colonies sustained by people. Food left for cats can attract native animals and spread toxoplasmosis, which has killed endangered monk seals and native birds.
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