I miss Mama cat and her kittens. At first, I came across her while heading into a Nu‘uanu reservoir to scope out a stream. She, I thought, was a he. A young male teenaged cat. Nope. Eventually, as I returned to bring food — someone else had been feeding her occasionally, too — it was obvious that she was either hapai or... I just wasn't sure. She was always friendly, smart, kind. How did a cat this good end up in a forest? She was also hyper-aware and always watching the outskirts of the area.
One day, she led me into the bushes and trees. I had just fed her and had never seen her walk behind there before. And woila! A kitten's head popped out from under the tin roof that was on the ground. Then another kitty. And another, and another. WOW. Instead of feeding Mama cat, I brought enough to feed all five felines every day. That went on for about a month.
I shot photos and video when I could. Mama cat eventually was seen by another visitor to the area, who promptly carried her off and adopted her. They figured out that she had kittens somewhere, and that's when I met Kat, who was feeding the kittens the next night. She's a big part of Hawaii Happy Cats, and they wound up trapping and bringing all four babies into a foster home.
All safe and sound, and no more worries about hunger, sickness, the constant Nu‘uanu wind and rain. No more worries about the hunting dogs that roam loose sometimes in the area, which is known for buta (pig) hunting. I miss Mama cat and I wish I'd gotten to meet the kittens in person, but they're in great hands now. She's going to be an awesome house cat. Her kittens, well, one of them is quite personable. The other three are shy, and it'll take some time to adjust after being forest cats all this time. But they're healthy and the future is bright.
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