A cat left outside in a carrier completely came around and shone within days in a home.
Early this month, Brooklyn Kitty Committee, a cat rescue, received a picture of a cat left in a carrier on the sidewalk. He was huddled in the back, frozen in fear.
They had information on the approximate location of the cat. With the help of a fellow rescue group, Greenpoint Cats, they rallied the community to find him. “This poor cat had been left outside in a carrier where he sat for hours. The door had been opened, yet still, he sat there, too scared to exit,” Greenpoint Cats shared.
Sawyeh and Amber, volunteers, were in the neighborhood and rushed to the scene within minutes of seeing the picture.
They secured the cat in the carrier and headed to Greenpoint Vet Care. The cat stayed completely still and didn’t make a sound, cowering in the corner of his carrier during the ride to the clinic.
“He was an un-neutered young male cat.” Many cats like him, unfortunately, find themselves abandoned on the streets of NYC “once old enough to start exhibiting the behaviors and smell of an intact male.”
“The solution is easy in theory: neuter the cat. The reality is that there are limited options for low-cost spay/neuter (in NYC) and little to no resources that are shared and offered in communities that need it most. There is a need for more spay/neuter resources and advocacy.”
The rescuers lovingly named the cat Slater. They gently removed him from the urine-soaked carrier and got him cleaned up and vetted. He was so scared, turning every which way from petting.
He never hissed or swatted and didn’t have a mean bone in his body. Behind his wary eyes lay a sweetheart eager for love. After a few chin scratches and a plate of food, he began to warm up to people.
When they returned to check on them, his eyes lit up, and he greeted them with a sweet meow.
A couple learned about Slater’s plight and offered to foster him. They took him into their home and gave him all the time and space he needed to decompress.
Slater’s demeanor quickly changed in a quiet, comfy environment. After exploring around and getting to know his foster parents, his posture was straighter, he walked taller, and he began to seek attention from them.
Within days, Slater came out of his shell and blossomed into a cuddle bug.
He hops on the couch and curls beside his humans so he can wriggle into their arms and shower them with kisses. He enjoys being tucked under a blanket with his foster dad, falling asleep on him.
When both his foster parents lie down, side by side, he wedges between them and rolls on his back, revealing his belly, the ultimate sign of trust, ready for a nap.
They’ve discovered that Slater likes to drink from the tap and that he loves to wrap his paws around his people and give their hand a good grooming.
His love language involves plenty of hugging and kissing.
Gone is the fear of the unknown, replaced by contentment and bliss of a new beginning. Slater is now surrounded by people who love and spoil him.
He purrs loudly, lying on his humans before nodding off to sleep to the sound of their comforting heartbeats.
