When you come to Lana’i Cat Rescue Center, you will have fun with about 600 cats of all types and sizes. Keoni Vaughn, director of the center, said: “Our slogan here is that every cat has its own life and every cat is important.”
This center is a non-profit organization established in 2006. Previously, an area resident named Kathy Carrol came up with the idea of having a place on the island to take care of a large number of stray cats as well as protect them. Protect endangered birds.
There are currently only 3,000 people living on the 362 km2 island of Lana’i, about 14 km from the island of Maui. This is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago with 98% of the area owned by billionaire Larry Ellison. The cat rescue area is built on more than 12,000 m2 of land, only about 3 km from the airport. Like other areas on the island, this is a peaceful and very comfortable place.
The center has a mobile veterinary hospital with enough health care equipment. A doctor and two technicians visit the center twice a month to check on the cats’ health, while an on-site manager monitors them daily, ensuring their needs are met.
However, maintaining and managing such a place is not easy or cheap at all. Thanks to its convenient location, supplies are delivered here faster. Cats consume up to 34 kg of food per day. Food is delivered weekly and costs $35,000 per year.
Support for the center comes mainly from the support sent by tourists and cat lovers around the world. 95% of donations come from people who don’t live on the island. The center also often welcomes visitors from Japan, Australia and India. They bring food and spend time playing with the cat.
According to director Vaughn, in the past year, nearly 10,000 tourists visited this place. Not just a place to simply care for stray cats, in 2016, the center organized a cat wedding for those who love these animals to participate.
About 200 new cats are brought to the center every year. Each cat will be named, chipped and photographed. If it is a male cat, it will be neutered. Staff make sure the animals are healthy before releasing them to play with guests.
For the majority of cats here, the center provides them with an opportunity to have adequate food, drink, time, and space to rest. This is also an opportunity for them to live in the love of a big family. Cat lovers can choose and adopt one.
In addition to planning to become a home for 1,500 cats, the center is conducting a project to create a separate place for elderly cats with a more closed and quiet space. Director Vaughn’s biggest goal is to move all stray cats from outside into the living center.
The cat rescue center is open all year round and is free for visitors to visit from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The center is located at 1 Kaupili Street, Lana’i City, Lana’i Island, Hawaii (USA).
