03/10/2026
๐ชฝ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ชฝ
On Saturday, one of our team members, while walking to her parents' house in Woodside, Queens, was stopped on the street by a woman who said to her in a shaky voice: "A cat is lying on the street, in pain, and he doesnโt move."
Our team member followed her without questioning, and indeed, a black kitten was lying on the street. He was immobilized and crying loudly. It wasnโt clear what had happened to him; perhaps he was hit by a car, or poisoned - these were the first conclusions.
Our team member called one of our fosters, who agreed to drive her and the kitten to a hospital. Puddle (he was named after the puddle of milk he was lying in) was friendly, well-fed, and didnโt look like a street cat at all. When they arrived at the vet, Puddle was taken care of immediately. He was given painkillers that allowed him to walk. The doctor did X-rays to see if he had any broken limbs. The X-rays didnโt detect anything, and the doctor said the case was very strange - the cat might be suffering from something neurological, and we should follow up with a consultation with a neurologist.
Our team member took Puddle home and cared for him. In the morning, she said that Puddle wasnโt moving again, but he was peacefully lying in his basket. She was able to feed him by hand, so he got food. After breakfast, Puddle went to sleep.
Unfortunately, he never woke up. He passed away silently in his sleep. Unexpectedly, just like that, he was gone, and we couldnโt understand why.
Our team contacted the doctor right away, and the doctor confirmed that Puddle must have had a serious neurological disease - something untreatable. There was nothing that could have been done if he had been suffering from it.
We were devastated - especially our team member who found Puddle and spent hours in the ER trying to save his life.
Rescue is not always about wins; there are also losses, things we canโt predict or prevent. We asked ourselves what else we could have done, what we could have done differently, what mistakes we may have made - if not for them, maybe he would have survived.
Puddle wasnโt a feral kitten; he was well-fed and friendly. He had a family. He might have been abandoned on the streets because of his condition - or for another reason. We will never know.
What we do know is that Puddle was rescued in time. He was seen. Heโs not invisible. He was named. He has a voice now, and that voice will keep on giving us strength to fight for other homeless and nameless cats in need. Because every cat deserves a name and a spotlight in our hearts.
Big thanks to NYC Second Chance Rescue for covering Puddle's X-ray bill and ER veterinary consultation. You guys stepped in when your help was needed the most. You're the best!
