Bonus, the kitten was left behind hiding in a junk pile when TNR (trap, neuter, release) rescuers trapped eight cats in a yard in Los Angeles in March. While her siblings went to foster care, she remained behind, hiding. For weeks, the rescuers tried repeatedly to capture her but she evaded them time and time again.
Bonus hides from rescuers. Images via Instagram/imogenthekitten
Foster Mom Takes in Bonus’s Adorable Siblings
Kitten fosterer, rescuer, and photographer Casey Elise took in four of the super-cute and very friendly kittens, Gus, Eleanor, Miriam, and Oscar. The boys, Gus and Oscar, are tabbies, while the girls are both pretty black/grey.
These were “100% some of the best kittens” that Elise had ever fostered. On her Instagram, you can see they love each other, sleeping in a great heap, playing and enjoying foster life. When they reached eight weeks old, they would be ready for adoption.
Bonus’s siblings:
Oscar- the biggest and bravest, playful, cuddly, and curious. BFF with Miriam.
Miriam- Sweet and loves to be held.
Gus- Mama’s Boy who meows whenever his foster mom is out of reach. Inseparable from Eleanor.
Eleanor- Adorable and elegant little panther.
“This litter of kittens is so incredibly perfect. I can’t believe I got so lucky. They’ll be available in pairs (Gus and Eleanor, Miriam and Oscar) from @lange_foundation in two weeks.”
Once ready for adoption, the Lange Foundation ensured the paired kittens would remain together in their forever homes. At the end of April, Miriam and Oscar found their forever home together.
⭐ Rescuers Finally Catch a Bonus Kitten ⭐
Meanwhile, the rescuers kept searching for the mom and then learned that one kitten remained at the site. For two weeks, Elise and another rescuer tried to capture the kitten without luck. Multiple times, a rescuer crawled under a large old house to catch her, but she always got away.
Casey Elise described trying to catch the slippery bonus kitten.
“A couple weeks ago we learned that there was another kitten at the colony we are TNRing. I’ve been really sad because my kittens have been having such a great time at my house while this little nugget was left behind. I saw her twice last week but couldn’t get her because she’s super fast and very small, but @benjaminbutterscotch caught her the other day and I’m so happy. We’ve been calling her Bonus and I can’t wait to get home and meet her.”
Also, rescuer Cameron, cat dad to Benjamin Butterscotch, who cared for Bonus temporarily, shared the story.
“Finally, it took Grandpa to help Dad find little Bonus hiding in a woodpile after having run all the way around the very large old house twice and having hidden in so many nooks and crannies. Little Bonus exhausted herself so Dad was able to just grab her with his hands and she slept in the carrier all the way home. She weighed only 1.4 pounds and was definitely the runt of the litter,” wrote Cameron.
Bonus Kitten Arrives in Foster Care
Finally, Bonus arrived at Elise’s home. Considering that the kitten remained hiding in the junk pile, she worried Bonus might remain feral. But, no, this kitten is as sweet as pie.
“Bonus is here and she is AMAZING! She’s really fun and playful and she’s extra cute because she has a mini tail.”
Photos by Casey Elise via Facebook
“Bonus is super sweet and playful and silly. Can’t believe I was ever worried she’d be a feral friend 🥰”
“Bonus is perfection”
Below, you can see that Bonus is still very skilled at hiding.
“This little bonus kitten is really special 🥹”
Now, Bonus will soon be ready to start a new life. She, like her siblings, can find homes through an LA rescue service called the Lange Foundation.
TNRing a Feral Cat Colony
One of the successful rescues was a brown tabby thought to be the kitten’s father. Among the rest were incredibly cute and perfect three-week-old kittens. However, the mama cat ran away, eventually trapped, spayed, and released later.
Once released, a caring person would tend to the cats that remained feral. Importantly, the colony would no longer have more kittens requiring rescue.
For more, you can follow along on Instagram.
Bonus hides from rescuers. Images via Instagram/imogenthekitten
