Rescued Colony Cat Celeste: From Survival to Second Chances in Bajo Mono

The Hidden Lives of Colony Cats: Meet Celeste from Bajo Mono

Tucked into the misty green of Bajo Mono, just off a hiking trail few tourists ever finish, lives a quiet colony of cats. Most are nameless. Some are injured. All are forgotten—except by the ones who refuse to forget.

Three years ago, a hiker told Kirsten about the cats at the edge of the trail. She and her husband, Ray, went looking—but never found the colony. Instead, they found Sweet Pea. It was the kind of detour only fate can arrange.

Eventually, the hiker returned and showed her the way. That’s where Kirsten met Idalia, a kind woman who—along with her husband—was trying her best to care for the cats without any means of transport or access to veterinary care. Kirsten offered to help. All the cats were sterilized, and Beverly, another longtime rescuer, stepped in to provide monthly food for the colony.

That’s where Celeste comes from.

Originally known only as Cat #25, Celeste is different. Born with a malformed paw and picked on by the other cats, she had little chance of survival in the colony long-term. She was never aggressive, just timid—used to hiding, used to solitude. She had never lived indoors. No one knew how she would respond.

Still, when Kirsten was asked for help, she said yes.

Kirsten and Beverly picked her up and brought her straight to Dra. Chely, the local vet. Her nails were so overgrown they were cutting into her skin. Her coat was matted and dull. But she stayed calm. Not feral. Just unsure. Just tired.

Now safe in Kirsten’s care, Celeste is still adjusting. She prefers to hide in quiet corners. She’s not ready for affection yet. But she allows her wounds to be cleaned, lets her paw be wrapped, and sometimes sneaks out just far enough to watch from a safe distance. There's a softness in her, somewhere under the worry.

At first, she wouldn’t use the litter box—because she had never seen one. But with a little advice from Beverly, Kirsten filled the box with dirt. Celeste recognized the texture immediately. She used it without hesitation. Slowly, regular litter was mixed in. She adapted. A small, quiet victory in the process of transformation.

Beverly and Kirsten are now hoping to find her a home—one where she can remain safe, loved, and indoors for the rest of her life. Celeste deserves more than survival. She deserves comfort.

And this, in the end, is what rescue really means: not just pulling a cat from danger, but giving her a chance to live a life she never knew was possible.

✨ 10% of all apparel sales from Mushroomskitty.com go directly to support Kirsten’s rescue efforts. When you shop, you help cats like Celeste get the second chance they deserve.