Mayson disappeared after hearing an explosion in the middle of a forest fire. His mother thought she would never see him again, but now they are together again, wishing they were never apart again.
Mayson is a beautiful gray tabby kitten who was separated from her family due to the terrible Camp Fire in Northern California. Mayson’s mother, Laci Ping, and husband Curtis Mullins attempted to evacuate their home and packed up all of their beloved pets, but Mayson panicked after hearing an explosion from a nearby propane tank and escaped.
The woman frantically ran after the cat, but was prevented from continuing her search by a neighborhood fire crew for safety reasons.
Ping told The Dodo:
He ran away and my heart raced. I couldn’t reach him. He had no idea how he got away, but he did. My mind went straight at the thought that I would never see him again.
The couple were really sad about what happened, not only because their house was destroyed by fire, but also because they may no longer be with their kitten.
They end up living at a friend’s house with the rest of their pets, and Ping decided to post Mayson’s photo on social media in hopes of finding him.
Pine said:
I was endlessly searching online, trying to see if anyone could have gotten him back. And then after a few days, UC Davis [School of Veterinary Medicine] released a list of cats they found.
Ping was shocked to see a gray tabby with a patch of white fur near its mouth in one of the photos and immediately contacted the UC Davis office.
Pine said:
I immediately recognized his photo. I thought, ‘That’s my baby Mayson. I knew it.
They waited anxiously in a clinic room and that’s when a vet tech arrived with a box.
Pine said:
Until the time we saw him he was always blaming me for leaving. I was crying. I thought I would never see him again.
The woman couldn’t believe she was back with Mayson, they were both beaming with happiness, he clung to his mother’s neck as she held him.
Pine said:
He gave me a big hug around my neck. Was so happy. I missed him a lot. It was terrifying to think what could have happened.
A kitten who survived a forest fire is reunited with her mother
Mayson burned all four of his legs in the fire, but he is recovering and in a few days he will be able to return to his family again.
Meanwhile, firefighters are battling blazes across the state, which have destroyed about 11,000 homes, 1,000 people are missing and 77 have lost their lives.
Thousands of animals like Mayson have gone missing and firefighters have been carrying out rescues in hopes of reuniting them with their families.
Ping wants to send a message to everyone who has been separated from their pets to keep looking for them.
I want people to stay hopeful and not give up. Keep looking and be sure to check every page he posts about missing animals. It may take a lot longer than you think to get your baby back, but it’s worth it. They expect you as much as you do for them.
The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is one of many places in California where all animals lost or injured in wildfires are taken. If you would like to help these affected animals, you can donate to the UC Davis Veterinary School by clicking here.
Images: Laci Ping