---
title: "Feral cats are suspected of killing 22 Laysan Albatross chicks on Hawaii’s Kauai Island"
---

# Feral cats are suspected of killing 22 Laysan Albatross chicks on Hawaii’s Kauai Island

Twenty-two Laysan Albatross *Phoebastria immutabilis* chicks have disappeared over the past three weeks from a wildlife refuge on the USA’s island of Kauai, with feral Domestic Cats *Felis catus* being suspected as the culprits (click [here](http://khon2.com/2015/02/17/laysan-albatross-chicks-threatened-by-feral-cats/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-nFs_WB4uQ) and [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-nFs_WB4uQ)).

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Albatrosses/L/Laysan/Hob Osterlund 1.jpg)

 A Laysan Albatross incubates its egg on Kauai, photograph by Hob Osterlund

 As a consequence traps have been set and so far eight cats have been caught.  “We’ve noticed the mortality has subsided since we’ve removed eight cats,” said Michael Mitchell of the [Kauai National Wildlife Refuge Complex](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kauai_National_Wildlife_Refuge_Complex).  The complex includes the [Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/1654-acap-breeding-site-no-63-kilauea-point-national-wildlife-refuge-home-of-a-laysan-albatross-population)where [115 to 130 pairs](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/1970-acap-breeding-site-no-75-north-east-kauai-where-laysan-albatrosses-breed-on-private-lands-and-a-webcam-has-made-one-pair-and-its-chick-famous-with-two-million-hits) of Laysan Albatrosses breed unprotected by a predator-proof fence that would keep out cats, as has proved successful at the [Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1333-acap-breeding-sites-no-14-kaena-point-oahu-hawaii-protects-its-laysan-albatrosses-and-wedge-tailed-shearwaters-behind-a-predator-proof-fence) on the nearby island of Oahu (click [here](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1405-safe-behind-their-fence-laysan-albatrosses-and-wedge-tailed-shearwaters-get-protected-in-hawaii) and [here](http://www.pacificrimconservation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/83_Young_et_al_2012_Kaena_fence_technical_report.pdf)).

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/sampledata/parks/animals/Feral kitten Japan.jpg)

 A live-trapped cat

 As well as the suspected cats killing chicks, domestic dogs *Canis familiaris* running loose have from time to time killed numbers of adult Laysan Albatrosses on Kauai ([click here](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/60-2013-news-archive/1595-curb-that-cur-yet-more-laysan-albatrosses-are-killed-by-dogs-running-wild-on-kaua-i)).

 Unlike some of the other main Hawaiian islands Kauai apparently does not have an established population of alien Small Indian Mongoose *Herpestes javanicus*, a known seabird predator, although two animals were live-trapped on the island in 2012 ([click here](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/news-archive/57-2012-news-archive/57-are-kauais-laysan-albatrosses-now-at-risk-to-a-new-alien-predator-the-indian-mongoose)).

 To view photos and accounts of Laysan Albatrosses breeding on Kauai visit [My Albatross Diary](http://albatrossdiary.com/), the [Kaua’i Albatross Network](http://www.albatrosskauai.org/wp/2014/05/) and [The Albatross of Kaua’i](http://albatrosskauai.com/page%20blog.html).  There's also a live-streaming webcam, in its second year, that is keeping watch on two Laysan nests, currently with small chicks (click [here](http://www.acap.aq/en/news/latest-news/1970-acap-breeding-site-no-75-north-east-kauai-where-laysan-albatrosses-breed-on-private-lands-and-a-webcam-has-made-one-pair-and-its-chick-famous-with-two-million-hits) and [here](http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/41/Laysan_Albatross/)).  

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 21 February 2015*