Curiosity was getting the better of Monster Cat at the Keaau Armory as the hefty black-and-white cat explored his new home on a warm afternoon earlier this month — walking freely through the grass, slinking through tight spaces, meowing loudly at his human, Bridget Allen, as he passed. His feline brethren was roaming, too.
Pets aren’t allowed inside the armory, but a pet-friendly area was set up outside for animals who have evacuated with their owners.
Allen, who evacuated from Cinderland EcoVillage near “Four Corners” with her two cats, Monster Cat and Jimi Hendrix, first stayed with a friend before transitioning to an emergency shelter and bringing the cats with her.
While Monster Cat and Jimi Hendrix scoped out their new digs, Allen was scooping litter and getting their crate situated.
“I could not be happier that the shelters are pet friendly,” she said. “It’s huge. It’s actually tough to get housing anywhere on the Big Island if you have pets, so it’s been a huge blessing.”
To be able to bring her pets with her is “everything.”
“I consider them members of the family,” Allen said. “… When (his) owner asked me to take on Monster and give him love and look after him, I said absolutely and I meant it and that’s a commitment. He can’t help what’s going on with the lava and everything else. He doesn’t even understand it. So of course I’m going to do whatever I can to take care of him and he’s been a huge comfort, too.”
Allen said she gets “a little stressed out” about the cats being in cages, but they’re able to run around and they entertain the children at the shelter.
“It’s a great comfort to have (them) around … I’m just so glad they’re safe.”
By early June, Red Cross emergency shelters in Pahoa and Keaau had served 205 dogs, 73 cats and 18 others, which include birds, rodents and other miscellaneous creatures, according to Amy Laurel Hegy, a public information officer for the American Red Cross. Cats are typically crated, Hegy said.
“That said, I did see a cat on a leash the other day.”
As of Wednesday, animals were living both inside and outside with their owners at the Pahoa shelter, and animals were permitted outside at the Keaau shelter.
