# Detour while camping to rescue a kitten



## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

My family says this could only happen to me....

Last week I took two residents from my special needs program camping. We loaded up the van and headed up into the Catskill Mountains. On the way there I thought it might be nice to have some sweet corn to roast in the camp fire and on a whim I pulled into a farm stand.

As we were looking over the produce, a tiger kitten appeared underneath a display. She was friendly, rolling around, looking for attention, and of course I picked her up. The sales lady saw me. 
"Do you want that kitten? Take it! Some one dumped it here and it's going to get hit in the road! We keep taking it across to the barn but it keeps running back. It's going to get hit." 

The farm stand was right on the road. The barn was no more than 60 feet away, on the other side. It was a busy road. Things didn't look good for a little kitten trying to cross. 

Patty, one of the residents I was with, wanted to take it with us. Camping. But that wouldn't have worked. I asked the woman if she could keep the kitten safe for a day - we would be back this way tomorrow. She said she couldn't do that -there was no secure place for it, none. 

We drove up the road and I was aware that I wasn't even paying attention to driving, I was so upset about the kitten. A few miles away we stopped at a country store to get sandwiches to go. As we waited, Patty came up to me. 

"I have tears in my eyes thinking about that kitten. I'm not going to have a good time camping, I'm so worried about it."

That did it. We took a quick vote: all were in agreement that we would go back for the kitten. At the farmstand the sales lady gestured: "My son took it over and threw it up in the loft. I'm surprised it's not back already." 

We couldn't find the kitten right away in the cavernous barn, and our hearts sank. Then we saw her up in the loft, crouched down and wary. She had probably literally been thrown up there. I went up the ladder and brought her down. Patty cradled the kitten in a sweatshirt and we drove back to my apartment, about 40 minutes. The new tenant next door, Kathy, met us as we came in. We told her the story and I said I was going to lock the kitten in a room with food, water and a litter box until I came back. By this time we knew it was a female kitten because of the orange bits mixed in with her tiger markings. 

"I'll take care of her," Kathy said, without a moment's hesitation. "She can stay with me."

By the time we returned from camping, only 24 hours later, Kathy was in love and said she would keep the kitten. She named her Zena.

Here is a photo of my friend Alex holding her.


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

That is such a sweet story and I'm so glad it had a happy ending! :-D


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## Penny135 (Apr 6, 2011)

Such a heart warming story. I am so glad she found a forever home with your friend and kudos to all of you for saving this kitten!!!


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Your a cat magnet! What a sweet story. You guys were her angel! 

How is the kitten doing? I knew you couldn't pass up a cat in need!


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

Mitts & Tess said:


> How is the kitten doing? I knew you couldn't pass up a cat in need!


No, I couldn't. It felt so wrong when I drove away the first time. 

Zena is doing great, enjoying her country life and even going outside already with supervision. 
She is about 4-5 months old, I think, and will be getting spayed next month.


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