Foul play suspected
in cat deaths

Five cats belonging to a
Kahaluu woman died
in a three-day span

By Rod Ohira
Star-Bulletin

A Kahaluu woman thinks someone is robbing cats in her neighborhood of their nine lives.

Lisa Robello, who lives on Alawiki Street in the Woodridge subdivision, saw five of her eight cats die in a three-day period starting Oct. 1.

"I think someone definitely poisoned them," she said.

"Five is way too many, and my cats don't all hang around together."

Star-Bulletin reporter Rick Daysog, who resides in the same neighborhood, also suspects poisoning caused the death of his cat on Oct. 4.

The symptoms were similar in all cases -- drooling, vomiting and breathing problems.

"The veterinarian told me it was either antifreeze or some kind of acid," Robello said of the poison. "My cats all had a strong fishy smell."

Another neighbor's cat was recently wounded by an arrow-like object, Robello said.

Cruelty to animals is a misdemeanor punishable by fine and/or jail time, and the Alawiki Street incidents are being investigated by the Hawaiian Humane Society.

"The investigator says he left notes for (Alawiki Street) residents who were not home and told me this is far from over," Robello said.

Charles Duncan, Humane Society field services manager, said there are a lot of allegations but no concrete evidence that the cats were deliberately poisoned.

"Cats in the wild like to roam and get into all kinds of things," Duncan said. "Antifreeze drips out of cars all the time and cats lick it. It can be dangerous if enough gets into their system."

Many cats die from poisoning each year but many more are killed by cars, Duncan said.

Losing a pet can be devastating.

"It's the worst thing I've ever experienced," Robello said of the multiple deaths of her pets. "Animals are like babies; they give you unconditional love.

"So it feels like somebody hurt my children," she added. "I can't sleep because it feels like they're being hunted."