By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

I made a promise to myself that I'd never write about my cat. I am fully aware that no one else finds him in any way interesting. But I'm going to have to bend my rule a little bit to write about the efforts to abolish animal quarantine in Hawai'i, or, more specifically, the part of the argument that paints quarantine as heinous.

Sometimes the image that arises of the state animal quarantine station in Halawa is like some sort of cruel prison camp. It is not. It's no Disneyland for dogs or anything, but for a healthy, well-adjusted animal, it's manageable. The cages are large enough for two adults to stand up, walk around, bring lawn chairs and stretch out for a visit. The rows of kennels are clean and the fencing allows for sunshine and breezes, even a little bird watching.

The aforementioned animal did 30 days in state quarantine a few years ago when I moved back from the Mainland.

Mind you, he wasn't too happy about his "hard time in Halawa," but he was fine. He was treated kindly by the staff who patted his head, talked to him in that cutesy kitty-luv voice, even brought him a stuffed animal to keep him company. Nobody kicked him, nobody starved him, he got neither fleas nor ticks.

Did I feel sorry for him? Yes. Did I miss him? Yes. Did I feel guilty? You betcha. Was the state responsible for any of my pain and suffering? Not at all. I made the choice to bring him in.

Every time I went to the quarantine station for a visit, there was someone standing at the front office window screaming at the staff. It was never about abuse or neglect or cruelty. Either the pet owner believed they and their beloved Fluffy were somehow exempt from this rule or that; or they felt guilty for putting beloved Fluffy in quarantine and had to take it out on somebody.

Moving is one of those major-stress life events.

Having to put your family pet through quarantine only makes it harder. But the emotion of that should be separated out of the bottom line, which is keeping Hawai'i rabies-free.

The state Board of Agriculture voted this month to include a five-day or less quarantine option, which comes with a host of requirements. Can we leave it at that? If you follow the rules, Fluffy can come home with you the day Fluffy arrives. If not, there are other options that are in place to keep rabies out of Hawai'i, including the full 120-day quarantine period.

You don't want Fluffy to do time in Halawa? Then follow all the rules or leave Fluffy on the Mainland. There's no shortage of cats and dogs in Hawai'i; we don't need to import more.

Talk of being able to take Fluffy back and forth and back and forth to the Mainland for trips and visits — now that's cruel. Fluffy doesn't like airplanes and these days, Fluffy doesn't get to ride up front with the passengers.

Dressing Fluffy in Jailhouse Rock prison stripes (complete with hat) and making Fluffy pose for publicity pictures for the anti-quarantine campaign? Now that's cruel.

And carelessly introducing rabies into Hawai'i, that would be infinitely cruel to animals and humans. Until and unless there is no threat of rabies, we need to be careful.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.