My Friend Bunny

A few words

Here are a few words in memory of our foster kitten Bunny.

On Saturday, we took in a five-week old kitten named Bunny. I suppose someone at the Humane Society gave her that name because she came into the shelter right before Easter, but she did look a little like a bunny when her ears were folded down against the side of her head. She wasn’t scared or defensive the way most stray kittens are at first—they often huddle in the back of the crate and hiss—but came straight out and immediately started climbing all over us. She had a kink in her tail and a loud meow that sounded a little like a duck call. She was able to eat wet food, but like many kittens recently separated from their mothers she really wanted to nurse. Somehow they always think they might find a nipple they can use on the side of your neck or in the crook of your elbow.

We started fostering kittens during the COVID pandemic after losing our own cats to cancer and kidney disease. There isn’t room in the shelters for every kitten once kitten season begins, and it helps them a lot to be able to stay in a foster home away from sick animals and barking dogs. People often say they admire us for fostering kittens, as if it were some difficult, unpleasant act of charity. But I find it an absolute joy to have kittens in my home, to see them play and learn and grow. Kittens are bright beacons of light; it’s hard to have a bad day in their presence.

Bunny unfortunately started losing weight instead of putting it on. She had to be coaxed to eat and started to have less and less energy. We had an appointment for her to see a vet at the Humane Society on Wednesday, but Tuesday evening we found her on her side, cold and struggling to breathe. They determined at the emergency hospital—the best veterinary facility in the state—that they couldn’t save her. I held her in my arms and told her I loved her as she took her last breath, but I’m not sure at the end she knew I was there.

Bunny’s little flame was extinguished too soon. She deserved a much longer and better life. We wanted her to have treats and a soft bed and window perch where she could sit and watch the birds. There are millions of kittens like Bunny every year who don’t survive. In many cases, it’s not clear why they’re unable to thrive. I wish we could save them all. But Bunny was my friend. I don’t want her short, beautiful life to pass without some marker. She was here; she mattered to me.

The Hawaiian Humane Society provides incredible support to people who foster animals on O‘ahu. You can also help save kittens like Bunny by supporting Orphan Kitten Club, which funds care for the most vulnerable kittens.

Bunny and me on Saturday.