Cat lost after Hawaii adoption and airplane trip to California.

Cat lost found after a long trip from Hawaii to California

After five agonizing days of midnight searches, shifted bait bowls, and running on just three hours of sleep, Taylor pulled back a tablecloth-covered trap to find the one thing worth the exhaustion: a safe but very scared cat.

Just one month earlier, Taylor had fallen in love with Mauna Lei at the Lanai Cat Sanctuary in Hawaii. During a visit, the sweet feline had hopped right onto Taylor’s lap, purring and pressing his head close for three straight hours. The bond was instant. After weeks of sorting out health certificates and rabies immunizations to safely relocate him to California, Mauna Lei finally arrived at his new home on a Friday night.

But the long journey had left him terrified. Spooked by a loud noise the next day, Mauna Lei hid away in fear. Then, less than 48 hours after arriving, he managed to open a bathroom window, break the screen, and escape into the unfamiliar California night.

Panicked but determined, Taylor spent the next 24 hours searching everywhere—climbing through dense complexes, peering into storm drains, and making the common mistake of calling his name. Exhausted, Taylor stayed up that first night researching lost pet strategies and found a podcast interview that changed everything. Following the expert advice, Taylor immediately stopped calling out, narrowed the search to a five-house radius, and set up humane traps.

Taylor’s intuition proved sharp when noticing a suspicious shape in a tree near the carport. The branches reminded Taylor of the mango trees Mauna Lei loved back at the Hawaiian sanctuary. Realizing the tree connected to the carport roof and a long fence line right outside the escape window, Taylor focused all efforts there.

Mauna Lei proved to be a clever fugitive. One night he bunched up the puppy pad lining the trap without setting it off. The next night, he ate a trail of Churu treats but refused to reach the main bait bowl. By Wednesday, ants and wasps swarmed the food, but a faint meow from the branches kept Taylor’s hope alive.

On Thursday, Taylor decided to outsmart the clever cat. Two traps were set: one by the window and one by the tree. Taylor used regular food as a trail leading to a prize bowl of Churu, and strategically covered the exposed trap with a tablecloth to make it feel safe. After an hour of waiting and a tense lap around the neighborhood, Taylor walked up to check the carport one last time.

The trap was closed. Taylor pulled back the fabric, and there was Mauna Lei—safe, sound, and ready to truly begin his new life as a cherished, indoor California cat.

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Reply to Taylor:

What great news he is safe now!

Hearing how you tracked him to that tree because it reminded him of his favorite mango tree  at the Lanai Cat Sanctuary is absolutely beautiful. You did an incredible, brilliant job keeping your head clear, adapting your trapping strategy, and outsmarting him when he tried to outsmart the trap!

Please, go get some well-deserved, deep sleep now that your sweet boy is safe inside his new California home.

Purrs,

Kim