Cats urgently in need of rescue on remote island of Lanai

Aren't these cats the cutest?

I'd tell you their names but they have none, as they are street cats in Hawaii. It's far from paradise for these particular cats that have weeping eyes, upper respiratory issues and some of the littlest ones are sick. Many are old and desperately need medical care. They suffer on the streets near a collection of tiny plots of farm land where people look the other way. We have taken in more than 100 of these cats into our sanctuary from this area and we believe we are down to about the final 25 felines in this area.

We want to take them all in to our 25,000 squared-foot sanctuary where they can get out of that area and into our care. But welcoming 25 cats for their rest of their lives is going to require a massive rescue effort on this isolated island – this is where you can help. They will need to be trapped and receive services including spay/neuter, vaccinations, life-saving medical care, microchipping, flea preventive and laboratory services as needed. Our goal is to find as many cats as we can a home and be prepared to care for them for the rest of their life. If we can raise enough money, we can do this. We could get them the care they deserve and stop the population from growing once and for all. We saw kittens there the other day and if we don't catch them, this will just become a never-ending cycle of suffering.Lanai is as remote as you can get in the United States. Only 3,000 people live on the island with no traffic lights, one gas station and there's not even a veterinarian living on island. There is no humane society here. There's just us and we can't do this without you.

Who Are We

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Lanai Cat Sanctuary provides a home for cats found at large on the island so that they will not struggle to survive. We are the most unique sanctuary of its kind; our haven serves as a model for cats and conservation interests that may sometimes be in conflict. Our organization has sterilized more than 1,500 free-roaming cats since 2004 and our current population has reached nearly 500 felines in our 25,000Sq.Ft. fenced, open-air sanctuary. We are the no. 1 destination for Lanai's visitors and an average of 35 cats a year are adopted by families off island who fell in love with one of our cats while on vacation. Our rescue work has made headlines around the world for the quality of life and the quality of care that we provide to such a large number of animals without even the basics such as electricity in one of the most remote locations in the United States.

The Need

• Trap all 25 cats humanely from the surrounding areas and transport them to the sanctuary.

• Fly in a veterinary medical team from Oahu that specializes in feline medicine to examine, vaccinate, microchip, sterilize and treat all 25 cats including providing dental care or any other proceedures that are needed to prevent them from suffering.

• Get all supplies needed to the island that will come by barge or plane. That includes medical supplies, food and more.

• Care for these cats for the rest of their lives or until we find them a home.

UPDATE: 8/12/16

Meet Peace and Serenity.

These two kittens area just a couple of the many reasons why we have begun our rescue efforts on Lanai. They were recently found shivering, dehydrated, sick and starving. Our trained and experienced staff immediately and carefully trapped them and brought them into our safe haven. They will be seen by our veterinarian who must fly in from Honolulu, Hawaii this Thursday. Until then, staff have been cleaning them up, feeding them and tending to their every need. They are just 10 weeks old. Over the next few weeks, Peace and Serenity will be given vaccines, a microchip (so we can keep track of every cat), and when strong and healthy enough, they will be spayed. Thanks to your donations, this is all possible. Unfortunately there are more kittens and adults out there and we will be attempting to bring all of them to our sanctuary.

UPDATE: 8/18/16

Meet Zen and Yin.

Zen and Yin are the second set of kittens that we have rescued. You may be asking yourself why we named one of them Yin? Well that's because there was a Yang. You see all of the kittens that have been rescued by us from this area have been coming to us extremely sick. Despite our best efforts, Yang didn't make it. Shortly after we brought him in he passed away. As devastating as it is for us to witness this, it's a reminder on how important our sanctuary is and the work that we do. It's a reminder that these cats that are coming from this area are left to fend for their lives alone. Scouring for food and water and never given a fair shot at life. Never been given a vaccine to prevent them from certain illnesses can kill them. The average lifespan of a stray cat that is left on their own is only 3-5 years. Now that Zen and Yin are safely with us they hey will stay with us for their entire life or until we find them a home. While with us and thanks to your donations and support they will be given top -notch care by our staff and veterinary team, but just as important, 25,000 square-feet to romp and play every day.

Please help and spread the word about our campaign. These little guys will be given a safe place to live out the rest of their lives or until they find a home. This is very expensive and can't be done without your kokua (help).