You step off the dusty road in Lānaʻi City and hear it before you see it — a chorus of meows, chirps, and purrs rising from behind a fence. At the gate, a committee of cats waits to greet you, rubbing against the wire mesh as if they’ve been expecting you all morning. This is the Lānaʻi Cat Sanctuary, a four-acre open-air haven that houses more than 700 felines and draws over 12,000 visitors each year.
More than 12,000 visitors come to the Lānaʻi Cat Sanctuary each year to spend time with over 700 rescued cats.
Kathy Carroll started the sanctuary in 2004 in an unused horse corral. By 2009, the operation had outgrown that space and moved to its current location, where it now covers 70,000 square feet of enclosed space. The sanctuary’s mission is twofold: give stray and surrendered cats a safe home, and protect Lānaʻi’s native ground-nesting birds — including the wedge-tailed shearwater, Hawaiian coot, Hawaiian stilt, and Hawaiian petrel — by removing free-roaming cats from sensitive habitats.
Yes, a day at the sanctuary is worth the trip to Lānaʻi — but only if you genuinely enjoy hands-on time with cats. The sanctuary is free, open daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and you can volunteer on-site without any prior experience. Just know that Lānaʻi requires a ferry or flight to reach, so pair this visit with other island activities to make the journey worthwhile.
Cat lovers
Families with kids
Conservation-minded travelers
Here’s what a day at the Lānaʻi Cat Sanctuary looks like, from the welcome committee at the gate to the adoption paperwork — and how to make the most of your visit.
What a Day at the Sanctuary Looks Like
The sanctuary operates on a simple rhythm: arrive, get oriented, spend time with the cats, and — if you’re able — lend a hand with daily tasks. Because there’s no veterinarian or animal shelter on the island of Lānaʻi, the sanctuary fills a critical gap in the community’s animal welfare infrastructure. Every year, it takes in 150 to 200 stray cats, most from Lānaʻi itself. In August 2023, after a devastating fire in Lahaina on Maui, the sanctuary worked with the Maui Humane Society to rescue 220 cats displaced by the disaster.
The sanctuary requires an appointment to visit, so call ahead or check availability on the official sanctuary website. When you arrive, expect to be greeted at the fence by a rotating group of cats — staff call them the welcome cat-mittee — who wait by the gate each morning. It’s a soft start to the visit and sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Co-founder Kathy Carroll, who still volunteers on-site, leads visitors through the sanctuary’s two main facilities and explains its history. You’ll see the “catfurteria” — a dedicated feeding station — plus enrichment features like pallet palaces, 8-foot-long irrigation pipes for hiding and playing, kitty-climbing jungle gyms, long grasses for resting, and trees for climbing. Some cats are housed separately due to medical or behavioral needs, and Carroll walks you through those areas too. The sanctuary serves 120 pounds of dry food and 100 cans of wet food daily, so there’s always something happening at feeding time.
On-site volunteers help socialize the cats, which is the core of the volunteer experience. The goal is simple: spend time with the cats so they become comfortable around humans, which improves their chances of adoption. You’ll sit in the enclosed spaces, let cats approach you on their terms, and help with basic interaction. If you have cat allergies, take allergy medication beforehand and wear the plastic gloves the sanctuary provides. A local volunteer group handles donations and ongoing improvements, so tourist volunteers focus on what matters most — giving the cats attention.
If you fall in love with a cat during your visit — and many visitors do — the sanctuary facilitates 50 to 100 adoptions each year. Cats have found new homes as far away as New York and Florida. Can’t take one home? You can sponsor a cat with a monthly donation or participate in “Rent a Piece of Purr-adise,” a program that lets donors fund cat bungalows and earn naming rights. A handful of couples have even held weddings at the sanctuary — about a dozen ceremonies so far, all attended by cats.
Note: The sanctuary is free to enter, but donations fund nearly all of its $2 million annual operating cost. Merchandise sales help too.
Getting to Lānaʻi and Planning Your Visit
Lānaʻi is the smallest inhabited Hawaiian island, and getting there takes some planning. You can fly from Honolulu or Kahului on a short inter-island flight, or take the ferry from Maui’s Lahaina Harbor. Once you’re on the island, the sanctuary is a short drive or taxi ride from Lānaʻi City. Because there’s no shelter or veterinarian on the island, the sanctuary functions as Lānaʻi’s de facto animal rescue — which makes visitor support even more impactful.
The sanctuary requires an appointment, so confirm your visit time before you arrive. Mornings right at 10 a.m. opening tend to be quieter, and the cats are more active before the midday heat.
What to Bring
Pack sunscreen, a hat, and closed-toe shoes — you’ll be walking on dirt and grass surfaces. If you’re prone to allergies, bring antihistamines and use the gloves provided at the sanctuary. There’s no on-site café, so carry water and a snack if you plan to stay a few hours.
Supporting the Sanctuary
Beyond your visit, you can mail donations to Lānaʻi Animal Rescue Center, Post Office Box 63-1577, Lānaʻi City, HI 96763-1577, or call (808) 215-9066 for more information. The sanctuary also sells merchandise on-site, with proceeds supporting daily operations.
In Hawaiʻi, a female cat can have four litters of kittens per year. Unchecked breeding can produce 12,680 cats from a single pair in five years. The sanctuary’s adoption and spay-neuter efforts directly counter this cycle on Lānaʻi.
Before You Go — Lānaʻi Cat Sanctuary
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes. The sanctuary requires an appointment to visit. Contact them through their website or call ahead to secure a time slot, especially during peak travel months.
Can I bring my own cat?
No. The sanctuary is a controlled environment for rescued cats only. Bringing an outside cat would disrupt the population and risk introducing illness.
What if I’m allergic to cats?
Take allergy medication before you arrive, and wear the plastic gloves the sanctuary offers. Many allergic visitors still enjoy their time by focusing on the outdoor spaces and observing from a short distance.
Is the sanctuary suitable for young children?
It can be, provided your kids are calm around animals. The cats approach visitors on their own terms, so children need to be patient and gentle. The open spaces and enrichment features — like the jungle gyms and irrigation pipes — naturally engage curious kids.
What’s the downside to visiting?
Lānaʻi requires a ferry or flight to reach, which adds cost and time to your day. If you’re based on Maui or Oʻahu, plan the sanctuary as part of a longer Lānaʻi visit rather than a standalone trip.
A Sanctuary That Serves Cats and Birds Alike
What started in a horse corral two decades ago has become a model for how a small island can manage its feral cat population while protecting endangered wildlife. Grant Sizemore of the American Bird Conservancy credits the sanctuary with playing a “valuable role” in safeguarding Hawaiʻi’s native birds — and the cats get a safe, enriched home in return. It’s a rare equation where nobody loses, and you can be part of it for an afternoon. If you’re planning a broader Hawaiʻi trip that includes unique wildlife encounters, consider pairing this visit with a farm-to-table tour of Hawaiʻi’s coffee plantations for a day that balances animal care with island agriculture.
References
Carlson, E. “Lanai Cat Sanctuary: Spend a Day Volunteering with Hundreds of Felines.” The Christian Science Monitor, 2026. ↗
“One of the Most Popular Tourist Attractions on Lanai Is a Cat Sanctuary.” Hawaii Magazine. ↗
“Volunteer at the Lanai Cat Sanctuary in Hawaii.” Ott’s World. ↗
For more ways to spend your time in Hawaiʻi beyond the beach, check out our guides to immersive luau experiences, top snorkeling spots across the islands, and authentic hula workshops that connect you with local culture and nature.
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