Attitudes and Care Practices of Cat Caretakers in Hawaii

Abstract

Individuals who were maintaining colonies of homeless, free-roaming cats on the island of Oahu were surveyed to learn about the attitudes and care practices associated with colony maintenance. The 75 respondents were primarily female pet owners, middle-aged, living with spouses, well-educated, and employed full time, dispelling the image of caretakers as elderly, socially-isolated individuals. Most of the them believed that outdoor cat colonies should continue to exist and that colony maintenance is a way of curbing pet overpopulation so long as the cats are sterilized. The majority of respondents had been maintaining cat colonies for two to four years. All caretakers reported having attempted to socialize the cats and nearly half had been successful in adopting out cats. Most were caring for one colony consisting of fewer than 10 animals which were fed once or twice daily. All caretakers were making efforts to trap the cats and take them for sterilization and veterinary care. Although many took a...