Santa’s Rescue Flight of Holiday Kittens Arrives from Maui
and Lands Safely at Helen Woodward Animal Center
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (Dec. 10, 2021) – One would be hard-pressed to find anything much cuter than the plaintive mew of a kitten underneath the tree on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, kittens can be hard to come by when the chilly months finally settle in on San Diego. So perhaps it was the magic of the season that brought a rescue flight of 13 tiny orphan kittens to Helen Woodward Animal Center last Wednesday evening. More clearly stated, it’s something of a Christmas miracle as torrential rainstorms in Hawaii this week nearly made the trip impossible. The adorable bundle of fluffs traveled all the way from the Island of Maui (or MEOW-ui) and are now ready to find their PAWliday homes today, Friday, December 10th, 2021. We wish them all a Mele Kal-KITTY-maka!
The warmer climate in southern California is responsible for a slightly extended kitten season than most other locations across the country. Longer days, warmer weather and an increased access to food all contribute to the yearly increase in kitten births between spring and early fall. In San Diego, kitten-lovers might even be lucky enough to secure a baby feline in the city’s warm early Novembers. By December, however, a child’s request for a kitten from Santa may throw many a parent into a panic.
The Islands of Hawaii deal with a different sort of panic when it comes to kitten season. The tropical climate means that kitten season lasts almost all year long. With a limited population of permanent residents and an ever-expanding number of homeless cats, Hawaiian rescue facilities are desperate for adopters. The pandemic has put an even more extreme pressure on these organizations, limiting the number of flights willing or able to relocate orphan animals to the mainland.
Helen Woodward Animal Center began partnering with rescue facilities in Hawaii as far back as 2016. A desperate plea from Maui Humane this September established even more regular transports as the kitten overpopulation problem reached a critical point.
The Wednesday transport of orphan kittens from Maui Humane to the Center was scheduled to be the third of its kind since the partnership began. Terrifyingly, it nearly did not happen at all. A state of emergency was declared on Maui just three days ago as over one foot of rain fell within 24 hours and flash floods threatened the island. Labeled “an extreme weather event” by the Weather Service, parts of Maui were flooded after “a north-to-south-oriented rain band” hit the island, the cyclone slamming Hawaii with a type of storm called a Kona low, which typically stalls and drops large amounts of rain on one location that normally does not get much rainfall. Power outages and flooded roads threatened to keep the kittens on the island.
The holiday season is known for its magic, however, and as though it was wished for by Santa himself, the clouds parted just in the “St. Nick-of-time” for a perfect take off. Both the needy kittens and those dreaming of a cuddly kitten Christmas have much to celebrate.
The Meow-ui kittens are available to liven up your holiday season beginning today, Friday, December 10th, 2021. For more information on these kittens and other available orphan pets at Helen Woodward Animal Center, please contact the Adoptions Department at: 858-756-4117 ext. 1, or visit www.animalcenter.org.
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About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 90,000 people and more than 10,000 animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the International Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive, the International Remember Me Thursday® campaign and The Business of Saving Lives Workshops, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world. For more information, go to: www.animalcenter.org.
