The Lanai Cat Sanctuary: A Nirvana for Kitties
You know that you’ve arrived at one of the most perfect spots on the entire planet when the number one of things to do in Lanai for tourists according to TripAdvisor is to visit a nearby cat sanctuary. There are only 3,000 people living on Lanai and over 400 cats. That ratio (for this introverted cat lover who loves cooler weather) is the kind that makes me want to unpack my bags for good.
Not only did the word paradise roll off my tongue regarding many aspects of the island, but it is so clearly a utopia for all of the cats under the care of the Lanai Cat Sanctuary as well.
Part of the welcome committee
There is no euthanization. Every cat is spayed or neutered and vaccinated. The sanctuary includes a multitude of different areas for cats to play, hide, or sleep. All surfaces are painted a rust red, and as many as possible are made of recycled crates or other such things that are salvaged. Nothing goes to waste.
Two things surprised us most – one being the remarkable peace among them cats (in our three hours there we saw no fights). Secondly, with all of these animals roaming free, you would never know it for the not unpleasant smell of the place. Large open boxes using pine mulch as litter tend to that.
The “lions”, as they are affectionally called, live large in health and harmony.
HEAVEN
The friskiest!
Getting comfortable
As such, the hardest part of our day was bringing ourselves to leave one in order to pet another. And then to tear ourselves away entirely, of course.
how to do it
You can donate or adopt in kind by visiting their site here. It is also possible to volunteer at the sanctuary, and of course, there are plenty of cats to cuddle and even take home with you if you are able. The Sanctuary will make all arrangements for getting them to your home, the toughest thing for you will be to choose from the many darlings there.
Our trip to Lanai was courtesy of the Lanai Visitor Bureau. All opinions, as always, are our own.
What a fantastic initiative and a wonderful lady. So much thought has gone into the outdoor enclosure not to mention all the love. Great photos guys!
These pictures brought such big smiles to my face! Love the picture of the cat butt straddling the pipe! Hahaha!
Being an enormous cat lover myself (and one who has just discovered the delights of cat cafés), I would absolutely adore this place! The gorgeous grey and white one with the beautiful green eyes is my favourite 🙂
Kiara Gallop recently posted..Getting My Feline Fix at Newcastle’s New Cat Café, Catpawcino
Beautiful place!
And took amazing pictures of these cute cats!
Traveling Rockhopper recently posted..New Zealand – Maori
OMG YES. This looks like heaven – both for the cats and for cat-lovers. I would go to Lanai JUST to visit this place.
Amanda recently posted..Holiday Travel: The Coolest Places to Go
I would, too – pure heaven!
Oh!!!!!! I have to go here!!! I’m amazed that they don’t fight – we only have two and they fight all the time!! Just gorgeous pictures, too.
Amanda Kendle recently posted..Review: Scrubba Wash Bag (and lamenting Iceland’s lack of laundromats)
What gorgeous photos – it’s so lovely to see how relaxed the kitties are. I’m a huge cat lover and this place does sound like absolute heaven!
We spent some time in animal sanctuaries while we were in Asia last year and are always on the look out for new places to visit! This will have to be added to our list!
Karianne recently posted..Conflict Kitchen – Food for Thought in Pittsburgh
Oh my, oh my! So many kitties over there. It’s a dream for a cat lover.
Linda March recently posted..Red Christmas Dresses
Love love love these ‘Lions’ so much! Such a beautiful post, made me want to jump right out of my computer screen and land in this paradise!!
Great photos! That would be my paradise. Did you find that most of them were comfortable around people?
Feline nirvana! And nirvana for me, too. I agree with Amanda (Dangerous Business) – I would go to Lanai just to visit this sanctuary!
I like this post and I am not a big fan of cats
Izy berry recently posted..How to Save Money this Spring
Beautiful photos of a beautiful place! It is great to see such support for a good cause. Thanks for sharing!