A GOOD CAT NETWORK MILESTONE // 400 CATS SENT THROUGH OUR OPERATION ALOHA CAT PROGRAM // 27 TOTAL FLIGHTS UNDER OUR BELTS
Tuesday, March 28th, 2023 marked a huge milestone for Good Cat Network: we’ve sent our 400th cat (411 to be exact!) through our Operation Aloha Cat program. To make this flight extra special, it was sponsored by someone who actually helped us get our first few flights off the ground: Sarah Haynes of Kitty Charm Farm 
I (Darlene) met Sarah in 2018 at a wine night with friends at a local non-profit called Leilani Farm Sanctuary run by the amazing Laurelee Blanchard. At the time, neither Sarah or I had non-profits, but we chatted each-other up about our dreams to help Maui’s ever growing cat over-population problem.
Fittingly, that same night I met a wonderful woman named Melani who had recently started her own micro-sanctuary, Maui Pig Ohana. Keeping with the rescue theme, the whole evening was arranged by our dear friends John and Emma who went on to start their own non-profit called Peacefield Farm just a year or so later.
Are you keeping count? That’s five rescue organizations, most of which didn’t exist at the time.
During Good Cat Network’s inception in 2021, Sarah helped us get on our feet as we were figuring out our Operation Aloha Cat program, and even hosted the first few Health Certificate clinics. Back then, she brought her own vet and held the the clinic in her vintage airstream trailer…in the Pukalani Long’s Drugs parking lot! It sounds a little odd, but Sarah likes to think out of the box and make things happen. She did just that, and when we needed it most!
I remember the moment when she passed the reins to me at the airport, showing me her kit of shipping supplies, instructing me how to drill holes and zip tie the carriers…just like it was yesterday.
Sarah Haynes soon afterward started her own non-profit, Kitty Charm Farm. She specializes helping the community with her free-clinics for community cats and special-case kitties with no where else to turn. She works closely with the community members who need it most, whether it be for sponsoring veterinary help or helping to arrange community cat caretaking and management, she makes herself available to those who need it most. And when we were running low on funds late 2022, Sarah offered to sponsor one of our Operation Aloha Cat flights.
This, the 27th Operation Aloha Cat flight, marks our 411th cat flown to our Transfer Partners in the PNW.
Adding a sixth non-profit to the story here: we are happy to share that we are working with a wonderful new non-profit for our flight cats: Honi Honi Cats Maui. In reality, it is not so new to Good Cat Network. This non-profit was started by our very own Jennie Ben-Dayan, former Good Cat Network foster coordinator!
Each cat also has a very special rescue story. Sometimes, it takes just one single person to rescue a cat. More often though, it takes many. It takes a network of individuals and organizations, armed with knowledge, encouragement, financial support and education to rescue a single animal.
Every role in a rescue, both big and small are important. It’s collaboration in compassion! Let me share a couple of the 400-cat-milestone flight cats with you:
Moe’s Story:
Moe is one of three all-black kitten boys who were rescued by one of Good Cat Network’s biggest supporters, Gary Thompson. He trapped the kittens along with their mother, also an all-black cat, named Sabrina. The kittens were named Manny, Moe, and Jack. Gary needed medical treatment and couldn’t foster the kitties any longer, so he passed the fostering torch of the entire cat family to foster Dennis Chamberlin. After about a month, it was time for momma Sabrina to prepare for flight. Sabrina moved to one of GCN’s veteran fosters, Lisa Andrade Mason, and flew to Seattle Humane on Valentine’s Day last month. Manny, Moe and Jack were very shy when they arrived at Dennis’s, but have come a long way. Moe has been quicker to come around than his brothers, but they, too, are making lots of socialization progress and should be ready to fly to one of our transfer partners very soon! Moe is very sweet and loves to jump in your lap and curl up and be petted. See Moe at Cat City!
Rocky’s Story:Â
A colony caretaker named Elaine found little “Rocky Stallone.” He was abandoned at the edge of a busy shopping center in Kihei, Maui hiding in ornamental rocks, hence the name Rocky. He was scared, dirty, hungry and only 9 weeks old. Elaine scooped him up and took him to another rescuer, named Jackie, to hold him until he could go to a longer-term foster. Linda and husband David fostered Rocky for eight weeks where he went from shy and timid to having the zoomies with her older Siamese. He loves cuddles and is a purr machine.Â
Sterling Silver and Edgar Allen Poe’s Story:
Sterling Silver and Edgar Allen Poe were found as kittens at the end of the street in Makawao. They started off as a litter of four, but unfortunately two of the four met an untimely death – one by a dog and the other by a car. They eventually made their way up into the bushes joining other cats where the caretakers started socializing them while feeding. The colony caretakers asked Good Cat Network to rescue Poe and Silver from this dangerous area, and Lisa took on the challenge of socializing these kitties.Â
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Socializing these kitties took a bit longer than small kittens, but eventually they mellowed out and were very content. They even enjoyed the “no go zone” for lots of cats: belly rubs! Poe is protective of Silver and they are a bonded pair. Janice and Chad, the two that originally rescued the kitties, went to Lisa’s house to say goodbye last week before their flight. Chad was concerned they wouldn’t remember him, which wasn’t the case at all. Silver bounced right up and started getting vocal when he walked in the door!Â
Other cats on this milestone flight were also removed from colonies. Luna, originally rescued by Kalea Dean and fostered by Jennifer Rule, and Olive & Harley – who were rescued and fostered by Janet Iwata-Bartalme.
As you can see, with 13 cats on this flight, there were many people that contributed to their rescue. All acts of kindness, both big and small, were needed to give these cats a chance at a better life.
Just $2000 covers an Operation Aloha Cat flight. Would you, your business or your employer like to sponsor one of our Operation Aloha Cat flights, like Sarah did? You can name the flight and we will feature you here!
HUGE MAHALO to everyone involved in this 27th Operation Aloha Cat, 400th cat milestone flight:
Flight Partner: Aloha Air Cargo
Transfer Shelter Partner: PAWS – Progressive Animal Welfare Society
All of our supporters, volunteers, cheerleaders, educators and donors along this 400-cat-journey, we are eternally grateful for you!
