Caring Cat Steps In To Raise An Orphaned Baby Bobcat

Last month, rescuers from the Millstone Wildlife Center in New Hampshire were alerted to a baby bobcat who’d been abandoned by her mother.

The 6-week-old kitten was fortunately found to be in good health — but only physically. Being apart from her mom, she cried out from heartache and loneliness.

But she wasn’t without a loving parent for long.

The bobcat kitten’s rescuers soon got in touch with Spicy Cats, a rescue and rehabilator for feral felines. Among their residents is a cat named Honeybun — a big-hearted foster mom who’s raised several litters of kittens not her own.

Honeybun had never raised a wild kitten, however. But her loving instinct clearly knows no limit.

“She’s very, very maternal and patient so we knew she’d be perfect for the bobkitten,” Caroline, president of Spicy Cats, told The Dodo.

Being in Honeybun’s presence, the bobcat kitten’s broken heart quickly healed. Honeybun, meanwhile, has taken to her rambunctious foster baby with the patience of a saint.

“It totally warms my heart to see them together,” Caroline said. “As far as we know, this hasn’t been tried before, so it was a bit of a gamble, but I’m thrilled they are doing so great.”

Being a domesticated cat, Honeybun won’t be able to teach the bobcat kitten the skills she needs to survive in the wild, so her role in the kitten’s life is only temporary. When the time is right, she’ll be placed with another bobcat at the Millstone Wildlife Center to reach her full potential.

“Millstone is planning a successful release in the spring!” Caroline said.

With any luck, the bobcat kitten will thrive one day back in the wild — the sad circumstances that led to her needing rescue put far behind her. And it will all have been made possible thanks to the big heart of a cat named Honeybun.

“They’re definitely a cute pair,” Caroline said.