.Mamoa, a cat that survived the Lahaina wildfire in Maui, is arriving in Sacramento on Wednesday.
The 5-year-old feline was living in the burn zone for nearly a month, according to a release from the FieldHaven Feline Center.
Joy Smith, the executive director and co-founder of FieldHaven, has been helping rescue and recover cats caught in the fire since September, the release said.
Mamoa was considered feral when he arrived at the Maui Humane Society annex recovery center.
Smith described him as “a big softie” who is not feral but rather recovering from trauma.
“Mamoa was initially known as L557. We don’t name cats who arrive at the recovery center because we don’t want to confuse them. After all, they likely have real names. And L557 fit my type — big fat cheeks, quiet and lazy, which is why I fell for him right away when I first met him,” Smith said. “I was right, as he soon showed his very social, relaxed side.”
A woman in Lahaina named Diana came to the recovery center and showed Smith a picture of the cat on Facebook.
“We called this cat Mamoa, and he was often in our backyard in Lahaina. I think he’s here,” Diana said.
Below is a picture of what Mamoa looked like before the fire.
This is what Mamoa looked like when he was rescued.
“Diana had nowhere to take him back to, so she signed him over to Maui Humane Society, providing the path for him to move forward for adoption,” Smith said. “Then, I officially adopted him, giving me the ability to bring him to FieldHaven, where we will find him just the right home with a family who will cherish him as much as his Maui one did.”
Mamoa will be landing at the Sacramento International Airport on Wednesday night and will meet a FieldHaven foster family.
