Daphne Vaina was having a great week. The 23-year-old recent University of Hawaii at Manoa grad had just gotten the news that she had been hired as a part-time teacher at Dole Middle School and was elated she’d be working at her alma mater. She was riding in a car with her brother when her dad called with even more news.
"My dad said, ‘Daphne, call up the Humane Society. I think someone’s prank-calling us. They said they have Rockstar.’"
Rockstar was a kitten Vaina had adopted from the Hawaiian Humane Society in 2005. Throughout high school, Vaina spent her summers helping with the animals at the Moiliili shelter as part of a jobs program through her karate dojo, Lawakua Kajukenbo. During her last summer at the Humane Society, she adopted the little black and gray striped cat and brought it to her family’s home in Kalihi. Not long afterward, the family had visitors and there were lots of little kids running around. The cat got scared and ran away.
"When my dad, who was really fond of her, found out she was missing, he took us around to find her. I went to our local cat lady’s house and described Rockstar to her so she could keep an eye out for her," Vaina said. "My dad even drove us up Kalihi Valley to look." Vaina’s dad, Sau Gogo, is a big, stern guy who took some ribbing from his kids for having a soft spot for that little cat.
Time passed with no sign of Rockstar. Vaina graduated from Farrington High School and went on to UH-Manoa. Then, six years after the cat had disappeared, she showed up at the Humane Society. Rockstar had been microchipped when Vaina adopted her, so when the cat was scanned, her name came up as the owner. Cat and family were reunited on Sept. 17.
"When I had confirmed that the call was legit, my dad was so happy. We went on his day off to pick her up," Vaina said. "I can’t say she recognized us, but she had no problem jumping into my lap and rubbing my face with hers."
Vaina is hoping she can connect with the family who had cared for Rockstar all those years. She knows that they brought the cat to the Humane Society because they were moving and were heartbroken at having to leave the cat behind.
"I’ve been hoping to hear from them so I can thank them for taking such excellent care of her. She looks so well-fed and clean. The volunteer we spoke to said that the family came to say farewell to her and were in tears that they had to leave her."
Rockstar has been welcomed back with open arms. Vaina even busted her dad gently putting a blanket over the sleeping cat one night.
"I’m stoked that we have her back and hope that other families who have pets that have run away or who are lost don’t give up hope," Vaina said, " … especially if it has a microchip."
