This proven effective worldwide method of population control DOES NOT depend on ethically questionable euthanasia. Cats DO perform a valuable function in a community by effectively controlling the rodent population. It is a well known fact that the European bubonic plague epidemic of medieval times was largely due to the HUGE rat population. Rats were the carriers of the plague. Because cats were associated with witchcraft during that time, and killed in vast numbers, rat overpopulation was the result.
Cats are fastidious by nature.
They groom themselves meticulously, and most cats prefer to bury their waste. There are far fewer instances of disease transmission to humans from cats than to humans from rats. HCF performs community service by providing public information about it's feral cat program, and assistance to people who may need help with controlling the number of cats in their neighborhood. Volunteers provide food and care on a daily basis for the cats, including necessary veterinary treatment. HCF maintains a large, island-wide registry of volunteer caretakers whose network can provide assistance to nearby members of most communities throughout the island of O'ahu.