Traveller hikes three days with abandoned kitten on Te Araroa trail
Carrying the black kitten with one hand, Katie Evans clambered over fallen trees and navigated a swinging bridge over the Hurunui River to reach the nearest hut.
A Te Araroa hiker from the UK carried an abandoned kitten through rugged backcountry for nearly three days to get it to safety.
Katie Evans, a cat owner from Cheltenham, had been on the trail since early November when the black kitten appeared in front of her near Lake Sumner earlier this week.
“One kilometre past there in this deep wooded area … this black kitten just popped up and I was like, ‘well, that's unusual’,” she says.
Lady Bluff, now known as Bluffy, was found near Lake Sumner earlier this week by UK hiker Katie Evans.
Supplied / Katie Evans
The kitten — which she named Lady Bluff — hid among logs and roots, watching Evans cautiously.
She says she was aware of how dearly New Zealanders held wildlife and how roaming cats were considered a threat to the biodiversity in these parts, but, being an animal lover, Evans knew she couldn’t leave it behind.
“I kind of waited about 40 minutes, didn't seem to be any mum around. It seemed quite nervous.”
After several failed attempts and trekking through logs, Evans finally managed to scoop the hissing kitten up in a towel. Carrying it one-handed, she clambered over fallen trees and navigated a swinging bridge over the Hurunui River to reach the nearest hut, 6km away.
Lady Bluff, now known as Bluffy, was found near Lake Sumner earlier this week by UK hiker Katie Evans.
Supplied / Katie Evans
There, fellow hikers helped her feed the kitten milk powder and dried yoghurt.
The next day, Evans fashioned a better hiking solution for her new travelling companion. The kitten was curled up inside her trusty shoulder bag, and secured with her hoodie to keep it snuggled close.
Keeping a close eye on her friend, Evans hiked over rough terrain for two more days - walking 25km each day.
“The cat mainly slept in there. When it woke up, I just kind of tried to feed it some dry powder milk.”
At the huts, she learned through the logging records that another hiker had previously spotted the kitten but couldn’t catch it.
Lady Bluff, now known as Bluffy, was found near Lake Sumner earlier this week by UK hiker Katie Evans.
Supplied / Katie Evans
After reaching Arthur’s Pass, Evans shared the story in a Te Araroa WhatsApp group, prompting multiple offers to adopt the kitten. Evans says she was cautious at first, wanting to make sure an animal shelter could get it treated and vaxxed.
She eventually met a Christchurch resident who told her they were experienced with stray kittens and already had a vet appointment booked, just in case she agreed.
During that meeting on Wednesday, she learned the kitten was already weaned because of the changes in its eye colour.
“I thought it wasn't weaned because it wouldn't take any of my trashy hiker food,” she says, adding that it gobbled down her scrambled eggs at an Arthur’s Pass café.
“[The Christchurch resident] was like besotted … they were like, we've actually already got the vets booked, just in case. So I felt confident that they were like they were quite knowledgeable about kittens.”
The kitten — now renamed Bluffy — was given a clean bill of health, though slightly underweight.
Evans is taking shelter from the rain for a few days before continuing her journey south, grateful that her unexpected trail companion is now safe.
