A reunion between an elderly woman and her cat after the Palisades wildfire in Los Angeles has gone viral, warming hearts and encouraging other pet parents affected by the California fires not to lose hope.
Five-year-old Aggie, a Maine Coon, was feared dead for two months following the fire, which destroyed her family’s home, but her cat mom, 82-year-old Katherine Kiefer stayed hopeful that she’d return.
Earlier this month, the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter called Kiefer with some good news – and now, Aggie is safely home with all the best cat treats a feline could wish for.
@carolynkiefer1 ♬ Little Sparrow - Paul Alan Morris
Her daughter, Carolyn, shared a video of their reunion in a TikTok video that quickly went viral, amassing over seven million views and 1.4 million likes. In the video, Kiefer cries and Aggie returns to her arms.
Carolyn has been keeping Aggie fans updated with more videos, too, including one in which her mom is video calling the feline while she remained under veterinary care. In the most recent video, she reveals that Aggie has made it home and is back with her favorite humans.
@carolynkiefer1 ♬ Just the Two of Us - Grover Washington, Jr.
Kiefer was at a medical appointment when her home was affected by the fire, and her children couldn’t find Aggie, who was gifted to Kiefer by a friend during the Covid-19 pandemic, when they tried to rescue her.
The cat has had to receive a number of blood transfusions and is seeing a specialist, with Carolyn describing her as being “basically skin and bone” and “in a state of absolute starvation.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign for Aggie’s vet bills, and it’s comfortably surpassed its $20,000 target with more than $35,000 raised. Extra funds will be donated to local shelters to help more animals in need.
Kiefer has some advice for other cat parents who might have a missing feline, too: “Don’t underestimate cats.”
The wildfires in California earlier this year had a devastating impact with humans, homes, pets, and wildlife all impacted. Some pets caught up in the Californian wildfires were separated from their parents in the confusion and chaos, while others simply didn’t have enough time to escape. Animal rescues, shelters, and volunteers have been working tirelessly to save animals and do their best to reunite them with their parents.
While there has been plenty of loss, there have also been stories like Aggie’s, with beloved pets still being reunited with their humans weeks after going missing.
For more information on lost and missing cats, here are six reasons why cats run away from home and this is how to find a lost cat.
