Cressman’s General Store cat survives Creek Fire. ‘It has brought us so much joy’
Each trip back up the mountain for Ty and Tara Gillett is hard since the Creek Fire destroyed their home and beloved business, Cressman’s General Store, a month ago.
“Every time we go up, it’s so bleak,” Tara said. “It’s not the landscape we’re used to. Every time we leave, we feel down.”
They got some welcome news this week that will make their next trip up to the Shaver Lake area easier: The outdoor cat who used to live under their store, known as “Momma Kitty,” is alive.
The Gilletts on Monday found a Los Angeles Times photo confirming “Momma Kitty” had survived.
“A little bit angry,” they wrote of the cat in a post on the store’s Facebook page, “but nevertheless alive and well. The true definition of perseverance!”
While the photo was taken Sept. 8, shortly after the store burned, Tara said one of their employees also saw the cat there Monday.
The cat sightings mean a lot to the Gilletts.
“We were just astonished I think,” Tara said of Momma Kitty’s survival. “It has brought us so much joy to see that cat. It was heartwarming. … It’s almost like it’s the only thing that survived up there.”
Update on ‘Momma Kitty’
Tara said Momma Kitty, who is 3 to 4 years old, doesn’t appear to be injured. Bowls of food and water for the cat have been left at the site of the destroyed store.
Tara said the cat is wild but if her family sees Momma Kitty and she acts like she wants to come home with them, they would try to take her. She said she hasn’t been in contact with any animal rescue groups about the cat.
It’s not known how the cat survived or where she has been living, Tara said, but she thinks Momma Kitty might have found shelter in a culvert nearby, or across the street from Cressman’s in a meadow that didn’t burn.
Fundraisers to help Shaver Lake area
The area where Cressman’s burned was among the hardest hit by the Creek Fire, which has destroyed at least 856 structures and was just 49% contained Tuesday.
The Gilletts want to rebuild Cressman’s as soon as possible. There is a GoFundMe to help them and their employees.
A couple other fundraisers were announced last week to help the area: Rebuild Our Sierra via the Shaver Lake Visitors Bureau, and the Central Sierra Resiliency Fund via the Central Sierra Historical Society and Museum.
Facebook comments about cat photo
The L.A. Times photo shows Momma Kitty sitting across the street from Cressman’s.
Among the Facebook comments about it:
“Gives me chills and tears of joy. An amazing and smart little kitty!”
“Her picture needs to be on the front of the T-shirts for Mountain Strong! Mountain Mama Kitty Strong!”
“I’ve seen this picture several times today and I still get the same feeling every time. Heartbreaking.”
“I have been fighting from crying for weeks because my heart is broken for our mountain community, but ‘Momma Kitty’ made the tears flow! The look on her precious face tells a huge story … #Mountainstrong.”
In response to one comment, the Cressman’s account responded: “Momma Kitty is a survivor, she’s a fighter. Legend has it she’s part mountain lion.”
