We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Lana’i Cat Sanctuary, where approximately 600 cats of many sizes and shapes have found a permanent home in the state of Hawaii.
Keoni Vaughn, the Executive Director of the cat sanctuary, notes that the organization’s philosophy is “every cat has a plan and every cat matters.”
The non-profit organization was founded in 2006 by Kathy Carroll, who has been a resident of Lana’i since 1999. Carroll recognized the need to provide sanctuary to the growing population of feral cats on the island, as well as to safeguard endemic birds that are at risk of extinction.
A billionaire named Larry Ellison purchased 88,000 acres, which is equivalent to 98 percent of Lana’i, which is the smallest inhabited island in the Hawaiian chain that is accessible to the general public.
The sanctuary is located on a plot of land that is around three acres in size and is less than two miles away from the airport on the island.
The cat refuge is a low-key and laid-back place, much like the way of life on Lanai.
In order to provide medical care, there is a mobile veterinary clinic. In addition to a manager who oversees the day-to-day operations and makes certain that the cats have everything they require, a veterinarian and two technicians visit the facility twice a month to check on the cats’ health.
As an illustration, the cats use approximately 75 pounds of cat chow on a daily basis. This food must be shipped in on a weekly basis, which results in an annual cost of almost $35,000.
Donations from visitors and admirers of cats from all over the world provide the primary source of revenue. As far afield as Japan, Australia, and India, the sanctuary has allowed visitors to come and enjoy its services.
According to Vaughn, there were close to 10,000 visitors who visited our establishment in the past year. As well as that, there is more to offer than simply hanging out: During the year 2016, the sanctuary played home to a wedding for people who were passionate about cats and wanted to be surrounded by feline guests.
As you can see, maintaining a cat sanctuary is not as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot of work and not only that, it costs thousands of dollars. Hats off to the person who made this initiative work.
