Pets Gone Wild

Cats arrived in Hawai‘i on sailing ships on which they served as pets and ratters for the crew. Feral cats are wild creatures that feed on mice and forest birds and cause serious harm to nesting colonies of seabirds.

Several kinds of parrots are regularly seen in Hawai‘i but the Rose-ringed Parakeet is the only one that has established a breeding population. This parrot is found on Kaua'i, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i and Maui and is a serious threat to local agriculture, native flora and native birds. It is noisy and will chew on wood, causing damage to homes and other buildings.

The Armored Catfish, a popular aquarium fish, is a bottom-dwelling algae-eater. Because they have no competitors or predators, they multiply and crowd out other fish in streams and reservoirs. They average 12 inches in length but can grow up to 26 inches. Their burrows penetrate into the sides of streams and can cause bank erosion over time.