While feeding wild or feral animals is generally a bad idea for humans and the animals, a considerable number of caring animal-lovers statewide have been feeding feral cats in an appropriate way.

Kaua'i Humane Society director Becky Rhoades, a veterinarian, said there are probably 50 people on Kaua'i alone who appropriately feed colonies of cats. The cats have been trapped and brought in for medical checkups at the humane society, and have been spayed or neutered, and each has an identifying microchip implanted. Humane societies generally do the work for free, although there may be a small charge for the microchip.

If the cats are healthy, and the feeder is willing to keep caring for them, the cats are released back into the wild — sometimes in new locations that are safer than where they were found, Rhoades said.

Rhoades was involved in setting up a similar program on O'ahu years ago, and that program is also an active one.

"Most of us who manage feral colonies are very responsible about feeding them. We do not leave leftover food out where it might be found by rats. The cats are spayed or neutered and microchipped, and allowed to live out their lives in the care of a colony manager. The cats are monitored by the colony managers for health problems," said Honolulu resident Skyla Hammond.

But the process can be both difficult and dangerous, she said.

"We have had dogs turned on us, have been harassed by people who dislike cats, have had cats poisoned," she said.

Jennifer Kishimori, who runs an O'ahu nonprofit called Cat Friends (on the Web: hicat friends.org), said that she is in regular contact with 150 or so people who manage groups of cats. The individuals, like Hammond, are termed colony caretakers. They are found in every county.

"They pay attention to who's fixed, who's not. If someone gets sick, they pull it and get care. Some of them even provide flea medication, although that can be expensive, since it's all paid for out-of-pocket," Kishimori said.

But there are still a lot of people who feed cats without otherwise caring for them, dumping food occasionally but not watching out for the animals.

"A lot of casual feeders are causing problems. They just leave food, and they don't know how many cats there are, their condition. The food can attract other rodents," she said.

"The animals get dependent on that food source, the population explodes, and if the feed doesn't continue, then they suffer," Rhoades said.

If you have a question or concern about the Hawaiian environment, drop a note to Jan TenBruggencate at P.O. Box 524, Lihu'e, HI 96766 or jant@honoluluadvertiser.com. Or call him at (808) 245-3074.