Jul 8, 2011

Meet Sal, a Kitten I Rescued From My Office Parking Lot!

Yesterday morning I got to work and had barely settled in when an email popped up with the subject line "Kitten alert!!!" A friend had just pulled into work and discovered a tiny kitten in the bushes, meowing and crying for help. Help! she said.

And so we did. I knew that kitten couldn't stay in the parking lot, and while I had no idea what to do with the kitten if we caught it, I just figured we'd deal with that when we get to it.

If you were watching Cute's Facebook page yesterday, I was posting pictures and updates as it was happening! So me, Marsha and Kelly (both are fellow parking lot mommies - we all feed them!) sprang into action. By the time I'd gotten to where Marsha parks (she sent the email), Kelly has already figured out where the kitten was... in the engine of a pickup truck.

We didn't know whose truck it was, but the building's property manager was able to track the man down and he came and popped the hood. There was the kitten! Kelly grabbed it, I was ready with a copy paper box (all we had on such short notice) and we were going to put him in and this would be easy.

Except the kitten had other ideas and scrambled right out just as we were closing the lid. Darn it!

Kitty's next hiding spot was up under the engine on the wheel axle of Marsha's Mustang, which, if he has to be in a car, one of ours is the safest place I guess. (That picture on the left is the poor thing hiding under there.)

By now we were all gross. Both me and Kelly had been kneeling in puddles, peering under cars with our hair flopping in puddles and getting rained on, but that didn't matter -- this kitten needed our help!

So we talked sweetly to the poor, scared thing. (What a talker! Meow meow meow meow MEOW the whole time.) We tried to coax it out with treats and stinky wet food. We had a towel ready to grab it in case it came out again. We weren't letting it get away twice!

By now I had decided the kitten's name was Sally since she was in a Mustang!

Once again, though, Sally had other ideas. She was not going to come out. We crouched with our faces under and around that car for another hour before Kelly decided to call a fellow cat-loving friend to bring some humane traps. We figured we'd put one on each side of the car, so as soon as Sally got brave enough to come out... GOTCHA!

That was the plan, anyway.

When Kelly's friend, Debbie, came with the traps and saw where Sally was under the car, she decided she thought she could just grab her. There was no way I could have reached her where she was, but somehow she did it!

Sweet baby SAFE in the carrier!

Sally was quickly grabbed and put in a cat carrier she brought! Three hours after we started, the kitten was safe!

(We also found out that Sally was actually Sal. It's a boy!)

But now what? None of us could take him in and he couldn't stay in the parking lot... We needed an angel to step up and take care of him!

That's when I thought of Cats Exclusive, my favorite local shelter ever. I made a couple calls and sent an email begging and pleading to see if they could take Sal in. And after holding my breath for an hour or so, I got the email I was hoping for -- YES! They would help and take Sal into a foster home!

Sal didn't know it, but today was his lucky day. And what a great, fulfilling day for me! So happy I could help save this baby. Big, bad parking lots are no place for scared, dumped kitties. I will NEVER understand how anyone could just dump a kitten somewhere and leave it helpless to fend for itself.

Sal is spending the night with Debbie. This is him sleeping with her in bed! What a lucky kitty!

So Sal is going over to Cats Exclusive tomorrow to weigh in (He needs to be less than 3 pounds to be able to go to a foster. I'm sure he is!) get all his tests and start his little process of becoming the perfect pet for someone. He'll need to be neutered, have all his tests, shots and important vet care and everything any kitten needs. We think he's about 7 or 8 weeks old.

I would love to show my appreciation to Cats Exclusive by making sure all of Sal's vet care is covered. I know it's not much, and they'll still have to make sure he's fed and all of that, but I would like to at least do this as thanks.

I've set up a Chipin, and if any of you can spare a dollar or two, me and Sal would be most grateful. I WISH I could afford to pay for it all myself! I set the goal at $200, which I'm not sure is the exact amount of all he'll need. I figure if we raise any extra or if that is extra anyway, it can just go to feeding him and toys and things to help support Cats Exclusive helping him.

Let's hope all of Sal's test come back negative and he finds the best forever home at the end of all of this!

UPDATE 9:45 a.m.: Oh my goodness, you guys! I'm SO incredibly touched! Just wow. Sal's Chipin is already almost at the $200 goal I set, so I'm going to leave it open. Cats Exclusive is the best place and if we raise more than Sal needs, the money can go to helping other needy kitties they help just like him! Thank you all for being so nice!

UPDATE 12:00 p.m.: Debbie just dropped him off at Cats Exclusive! He weighed in at 2.01 pounds, so since he's under the 3-pounds limit, they can take him in for sure! YAY!

UPDATE 12:20 p.m.: Sal has just a touch of a temperature (Only 0.1 over, but they are going to retemp him in an hour before giving him his kitten booster shots.) and they gave him Revolution for fleas just in case and a dewormer. He is a little shy, so it's good he's going to a foster home for a few weeks, they said!

P.S. I'll try and keep this post update as his day goes along today, but it'll probably be easier to follow along on Cute's Facebook page. Much easier to update and I'll add pictures and stuff as I get them!

19 comments:

  1. Sal is lucky you all were there for him

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  2. Mustang Sal, guess you better slow that Mustang down! So glad you are giving up the wheels for domesticity!

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  3. Sal didn't know it, but it was his lucky day - could've been dumped in a million other parking lots, but he was dumped in the parking lot where there were 'parking lot cat mommies' ;)

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  4. Sal you are soooo brave, and such a handsome boy!!  What a survivor!! I know you will have a great life and home now!! Kisses, I am happy to chip in on your vet bills!

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  5. Thank you so much for rescuing Sal! I chipped in :) Thanks to your local shelter for being so responsive!

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  6. Yay, such a wonderful story!! You and your co-workers are angels!! I'm definitely purring for Sal to be healthy and for him to find the purrfect forever home as soon as he's ready! He looks so content in that last pic :)

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  7. I have half a dozen cats, they are so funny and wonderful.

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  8. I love that you named this kitty "Sal" after "Mustang Sally"....you are all to be commended for helping this adorable baby!! He is precious and I hope he finds his furever home soon!

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  9. So wonderful that you guys were able to get Sal! Good luck to you buddy. Look forward to hearing about your progress!

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  10. Good for you and GREAT for Sal. The world needs more people like you all!

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  11. Sal is so lucky that you and the other parking lot momma were there to help him. Good Luck little guy!

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  12. aw! yay for sal!

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  13. You guys are so doggone awesome. Victory for baby Sal.

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  14. What a great story! I am so glad for little Mustang Sal!

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  15. Foofie gives Sal 4 paws way up! He was a "parking lot kitten" too. A neighbor found him and brought him to (the crazy cat lady) me.

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  16. Hooray!! You gals are incredible saving that little guy!! Such big hearts. I'm glad little Sal is safe and heading to a happy new home. :)

     

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  17. Hooray for little Sal!!!!!

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  18. What a cute kitty!  I hope he finds a wonderful home and lives a long and exciting life! :)

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  19. MARGARET MORRISONMay 31, 2012 at 8:38 AM

    Our two beautiful cats were also parking lot pussies. We got them at 8 weeks, and they've grown up into lovely, sweet-natured cats!! 

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