A cat helps care for a “kitten” who looks different from the others.
Honeybun the cat and her bobkitten — Photo: Spicy Cats Rescue
Honeybun, an orange tabby, has become a rock-star foster mom at
Spicy Cats Rescue
after being brought to safety through a TNR (trap-neuter-return) effort. Calm, gentle, and endlessly patient,
she has helped raise litter after litter alongside her own kittens, offering warmth, grooming, and steady guidance to every newcomer.
“She’s the most even-keeled cat ever. She’s not fazed by about anything,” Caroline, the rescue’s president, told Love Meow.
Just when everyone thought Honeybun had officially retired from mom duties, a very special “kitten” arrived who needed exactly the kind of care only Honeybun could give.
Photo: Spicy Cats Rescue
The newcomer was not a housecat at all but a 6-week-old bobcat kitten—an orphan rescued by the team at
Millstone Wildlife Center.
Their goal was clear: raise and rehabilitate the bobkitten so she can be released back into the wild when she’s old enough and strong enough.
Despite their expert care, the little one cried for companionship and comfort, yearning for a steady presence to snuggle, learn from, and mirror.
That’s when the two rescues decided to team up and try something wonderfully creative.
Photo: Spicy Cats Rescue
“We do our best to provide the best nutrition, habitat, and medical care,” Frannie from Millstone explained.
“With animals that easily habituate, we have to be careful they don’t become comfortable around humans—that’s especially tricky with social animals that still need play time, snuggles, and help with grooming.”
Looking for a safe, species-appropriate bridge, the team reached out to Spicy Cats Rescue about a surrogate mother who could offer the social lessons the bobkitten needed—without creating a human bond.
Honeybun has helped raise many kittens since she was rescued — Photo: Spicy Cats Rescue
Honeybun was an easy choice. Maternal to her core and experienced with dozens of fosters, she has a gift for welcoming tiny arrivals exactly as they are.
Caroline from Spicy Cats shared that Honeybun’s calm presence helps nervous babies settle faster and learn the routine of safe indoor life.
With careful coordination between the rescue and the wildlife center, a supervised introduction was arranged so the bobkitten could meet her potential surrogate mom.
It was love at first sight for the bobkitten — Photo: Spicy Cats Rescue
When they met, Honeybun sat calmly in her carrier and waited. The bobkitten instantly lit up—purring loudly, nose-booping, and even offering tiny ear nibbles.
Within minutes she tucked herself against Honeybun’s side like she’d found the missing piece she’d been crying for.
The connection was immediate and unmistakable: a gentle adult willing to teach, and a wild baby craving guidance and reassurance.
Watch Honeybun and her bobkitten in this adorable clip:
Photo: Spicy Cats Rescue
Over the next several days, the bobkitten shadowed Honeybun’s every move.
She watched how Honeybun groomed, learned how to eat like a big cat, and practiced play with appropriate boundaries—skills that build confidence and independence.
Honeybun, endlessly patient, tolerated the bobkitten’s clumsy pounces and enthusiastic cuddles, offering soft corrections and lots of snuggle time between lessons.
Photo: Spicy Cats Rescue
“They’ve been together a week tomorrow and are doing great,” the team shared.
“They snuggle, eat, and sleep together. The bobkitten tries to play with Honey all the time.”
With a steady surrogate mom to lean on, the little wildcat no longer cries from loneliness. Instead, her room is filled with purrs, playful chirps, and the reassuring rhythm of a routine tailored to her needs and future release.
Photo: Spicy Cats Rescue
Share this heartwarming story with friends, and follow the bobkitten and Honeybun’s ongoing journey at
Spicy Cats Rescue on Facebook,
@spicylilcats on Instagram,
as well as
Millstone Wildlife Center on Facebook
and
@millstone_wildlife_center on Instagram.
