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Aloha,
January marked my 10th anniversary with the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, and I have been reflecting on how much we have learned and adapted over the past decade. Building a cat sanctuary in Hawaii doesn't come with a manual, and there aren't any previously discovered best practices for a sanctuary to house hundreds of wild and traditionally unadoptable cats on a small, 3,000-resident island in the middle of the Pacific. Every experience has been an opportunity for us to improve our approach to giving the cats in our sanctuary the best life we can provide, and one of our biggest takeaways has been that more space is better for everybody.
For instance, we are discovering that having multiple medium-sized enclosures (and by medium, I still mean 5,000-10,000 square feet!) versus a single massive enclosure allows the cats to have more personal space, while also giving our staff and volunteers the ability to keep a closer eye on each cat individually. It also makes it a lot easier to catch the cats when there is something we need to address. Over the past few months, we have also realized that the semi-socialized Lahaina cats are really great role models for our Lanai cats that have spent generations in the mountains without human contact. The Lahaina cats themselves are doing really well and becoming friendlier faster, but they are also making our more wild inhabitants friendlier. We want to continue expanding these mutually beneficial relationships so that we can make more of our cats available for adoption. Our goal has always been to take in the unsocialized and unadoptable and provide them with a second chance at life where they can have all the space and time they need to trust us enough to find them a warm lap in someone’s home.
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With all of that said, I am very excited to announce that we will be expanding our Sanctuary in the coming months! This expansion will enable us to create a few additional enclosures, providing some extra space for our Lanai lions and the 220 additional cats we took in from Lahaina, Maui. The extra enclosures will also give us the opportunity to strategically house our various kitty personalities, encouraging additional socialization and ultimately, the opportunity to get more of the cats ready for forever homes. We will share more about our expansion as we progress, as well as more updates on how the Lahaina cats are helping tame our little lions. | |
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Of course, none of these programs and growth would be possible without your support. While the number of visitors is down 60%, it’s supporters like you that allow us to continue to save cats that previously had nowhere to go and would otherwise face euthanasia. | |
Keoni Vaughn | Executive Director | Keoni@LanaiCatSanctuary.org | |
Protect what matters most | |
To thank you for supporting our future, we want to make it easier to achieve yours! We are excited to announce that the Lanai Cat Sanctuary has partnered with FreeWill to provide a free estate planning resource to make this important task simple and 100% free. If you have 20 minutes to spare, start your free will today (you read that right — most people finish in under 20 minutes)! | |
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Lahaina cats are settling in | |
Our Lahaina fire cats are proving just how resilient felines can be.
Despite losing their Maui home and being rescued from a burn zone, they are acclimating exceptionally well to their new surroundings and warming up to humans and other cats more quickly than we ever imagined. While none of them have been adopted yet, we are excited about their progress.
The final 10 Lahaina cats arrived last week and we are hopeful they acclimate as well as the previous 210 that came before them.
At the Lanai Cat Sanctuary, we specialize in transforming traditionally non-adoptable cats into friendly felines. The progress of the Lahaina cats is a testament to our commitment to providing a safe haven for these strong creatures. Despite the challenges they faced, our sanctuary has become a place of refuge where they, and all of our cats, can thrive.
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Gothel (right) with her new family, including cat siblings Felix and Lily. | |
Gothel flies to furr-ever home in California | |
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After following us on Instagram for years, the Newswick Family from California visited the Sanctuary and took home the best souvenir ever — Gothel the cat!
The family fell in love with Gothel immediately upon meeting her.
“She has such a beautiful and peaceful soul, she snuggled up to us and her purring melted our hearts,” the family said, “We couldn’t stop thinking about her for the whole trip and we just had to adopt her!”
The family is no stranger to animal welfare work — they do rescue volunteering at home in California and often foster pets.
The Newswicks say that Gothel is settling in well and loves to hang out with her new brother and sister cats, Felix and Lily. She is so snuggly and greets them with her cute meow every day — she even hops up and rides on their shoulders!
Finding a warm lap and a home for all of our Lanai lions is a priority for us. Our goal is to get every adoptable cat into a home, allowing us the space to give another feral a chance at life. We handle all the paperwork and arrangements and make the process as easy as possible. To learn more about our adoption process, email us at info@LanaiCatSanctuary.org or visit the adoption page on our website.
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Sanctuary welcomes Programs & Development Manager | | |
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Nikki Perry joins our ‘ohana in the newly created position of Manager of Programs & Development. She brings a decade of experience in program management, leading transformative initiatives, training, and strategic communications. Her role will help us make a significant impact in driving sustainable growth through strategic fundraising and donor relations. Prior to her tenure in banking, Nikki worked with our executive director Keoni and director of operations Joe at Hawaii’s largest humane society. There she helped create innovative lifesaving programs including ‘Fostering for Space’ and their ‘Offsite Adoption Program’ that led to record-breaking adoption numbers. She’s excited to bring her wealth of experience and return to her life’s passion to make the world a better place for animals. | |
We have so many ways for you to show your support, as well as many different naming opportunities. Nikki would love to connect with you to share additional information, email her at Nikki@LanaiCatSanctury.org to learn more! | |
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Did you know 95% of the cats we bring in from Lanai have never seen a human until our intervention?
You can’t get more “wild” than that. The life expectancy for a feral cat in Hawaii in these remote areas can be between 3-5 years. These cats are obviously not your everyday household cats who have been vaccinated at a young age and fed a well-balanced diet regularly. They often come to us on death’s doors, starving and sick. Once with us, we provide them with food, water, veterinary care, and a safe outdoor space where they are welcome to stay with us for their entire life or until they find a home. We have found that through our intervention, our Lanai Lions' life spans are doubling or even tripling. It’s not uncommon for us to have a 15-year-old kitty in our care. In fact, our average age is 9 years old!
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Visitor numbers may have dropped by about 60% since the Lahaina fires but our welcome committee is still ready and waiting every day. They gather to be the first cats to get treats, ear scratches, and laps to sit on.
Despite Lahaina Harbor still being closed, there are several ways to get to our sanctuary.
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Mokulele Airlines has numerous direct flights from Maui and Oahu daily
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Lanai Air has more than five direct flights from Oahu daily
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Ferry from Maalaea Harbor on Maui leaves at 6:30 am and arrives at Manele Harbor on Lanai at 8:30 am – leaves Manele Bay at 5:30 pm
- For options to get from the airport or harbor to the sanctuary, click here.
The sanctuary opens around 10 am but if we are ready to open earlier we will let our visitors in. If you can't visit, check out our social media sites below for peeks into our slice of purr-adise!
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