In early June, a woman in Northern California stumbled upon a litter of kittens in her backyard. She quickly realized the tiny babies belonged to a neighborhood stray she’d affectionately named Muffin.
Wanting the kittens safe but unable to care for them herself, she turned to social media for help.
That’s when Joy Smith, founder of FieldHaven Feline Center, stepped in. “I’m the cat lady around here,” Smith told The Dodo. With the center just minutes away, a friend offered to drive the little family to safety. But halfway there, something unexpected happened — and it changed everything.
Startled during the ride, Muffin leapt out of the car window at a rural intersection and disappeared. The kittens arrived at the shelter without their mother, leaving Smith heartbroken. At only two weeks old, the babies were far too young to be without her.
Still, Smith noted signs of Muffin’s devoted care. “No fleas, chubby bellies, clear eyes and noses — mom had been taking excellent care of them,” she said.
Determined to reunite them, Smith organized search efforts. She placed the kittens near a humane trap, hoping their cries would draw Muffin back. She even tried playing recordings of kittens mewing — a trick that had worked for her before. But despite hours of waiting, Muffin never appeared.
Days went by. The kittens were placed in an incubator and bottle-fed by an experienced foster, but they longed for their mom. Smith began to fear the worst.
Then, a week later, came a miracle. A neighbor from Muffin’s old neighborhood called with astonishing news: Muffin had made her way back to the very yard where she’d first given birth.
The mama cat had traveled more than 2.5 miles, through woods and grasslands filled with predators like coyotes and bobcats, just to return home.
“She has to be a clever hiker,” Smith said. With her years of experience rescuing cats from wildfire zones, she knew this homing instinct was strong — but Muffin’s determination still amazed her.
This time, rescuers secured Muffin carefully and reunited her with her babies in their foster home. The reunion was as sweet as they’d hoped: the kittens nursed contentedly, cuddling into their mom’s warmth.
“No one takes care of baby kittens like a mom cat can,” Smith said with a smile.
Now the little family is thriving together, and their foster hopes to adopt Muffin once her kittens are weaned.
After decades of rescues, Muffin’s story still left Smith in awe: “Cats are such marvelous creatures.”
To support FieldHaven Feline Center and their lifesaving work, donations can be made through their website.
