Any person that loves animals would stop and help a creature in need. Whenever we see stray cats or dogs, we stop and feed them or even give them a ride to the vet. A woman’s journey to meet her friends for dinner was a bit unexpected when she saw a small fluffy animal scamper close to the highway, nearly ready to jump into the speeding cars. She stopped the car as he heart couldn’t bear leaving the poor kitten all alone on that road.
She had no idea that it was not a regular kitty!
Stray Animals
It’s heartbreaking to see a stray cat or a dog wandering around the neighborhood, looking for a shelter and food. Most of the cities have their local pounds, but they’re already filled to the brim with other strays. Sometimes, rescuing a kitten from the street is left to those like the woman in our story.
A Stray Cat
Caring for a cat is not really difficult, and many families prefer getting a cat rather than a dog. They require less attention and you don’t need to take them out for long walks either. This is why it’s easy to see why many cats find adoptive families so fast compared to dogs…
An Animal Lover
Jill Hicks, the woman in our story, is an animal lover that would always jump to help one in need. When she was getting ready for dinner, she had no idea she would have to rethink her dinner plans. But what she thought it was a kitty rescue mission turned into something more complicated!
Into The Car
Jill was ready to meet some friends for dinner that night. She got into her car and drove towards the restaurant but her journey would come to an end when she spotted a bundle of fluff on the side of the road. She stopped and knew she had to act fast to save the kitten’s life!
All Alone, On The Road
Who would have the heart to abandon a kitty on a highway, thought Jill as she saw something fluffy along the road. At first, she thought it was a bunny, she said to Dodo in an interview:
“I thought it was a baby bunny at first just because the fur was so fluffy.” She was wrong!
No Time to Inspect the Animal
Whatever that fluffy thing was, Jill knew it shouldn’t walk so close to the busy road. She had to save and keep it from harm’s way. Then, she got closer and realized it was actually a kitten!
Saving the Kitty
“I got closer and I realized that it was a tiny kitten. I pulled over and opened my car door and left it open so that traffic would slow down. And I went toward the kitten,” said Jill. Looking around to see if the cars slowed down, she lunged toward the kitten that was frozen with fear.
You’re Safe Now!
Jill was able to get the kitty before it got a chance to run towards the other cars. It was a successful rescue mission thought the woman as she headed towards her car. What she didn’t know was that she wasn’t exactly saving a kitty. Let’s see why her story got so viral!
Cuddles in the Car
The woman cuddled the kitten in a sweater and held her close to get her warm. But that’s only the beginning of the rescue mission, explained Jill: “I was thinking it was a kitten somebody had tossed out, so I thought there may be more. So I was calling for other cats, saying, ‘Kitty, kitty, kitty,’ thinking more kittens would come to me.”
No Kittens Came Out
No other kitten was out of the brush and neither was the mom. Jill just wanted to make sure that the kitten wouldn’t get hit by a car or eaten by predators like coyotes. What she didn’t know was that the kitty was rather… special!
Back Home
Jill had to go to dinner, so she quickly drove the kitty back to her home. She had no idea that her story would become viral on social media. Here’s how the drive back home was like with a scared kitty.
A Very Strange Copilot
The kitty was definitely a bit scared, and we can say she was quite a strange copilot, considering she climbed all over the seats, recalled Jill. She managed to calm the cat by doing this thing…
A Successful Rescue Mission?
“I put her in the car with me, and she climbed all over me, climbed around the back of my neck, got into the passenger seat. I had to pull over a couple of times to get her situated, and I finally got her on my lap, wrapped up in the sweater and got her calm,” said Jill to The Dodo.
But this was only the beginning of her ‘rescue mission.’
A New Cat
Jill was planning to keep the small kitten in the garage for the few hours she was gone to see her friends. Inside her house she had one more cat and a big dog, so she wanted to avoid trouble. There was a comfy spot in the garage, as well as a litter box and food and water.
Four-Star Hotel
The kitten had now arrived at her four star hotel, which was also equipped with a cardboard box and a soft sweater in which Jill had kept the kitty. Before leaving her new furry friend, she posted a photo of the kitty on Facebook, asking if someone would want to adopt the little cat.
She then left her house...
Cute Kitty Photos
People reacted very fast to Jill’s Facebook post, but she didn’t really notice anything since she was enjoying her dinner with friends. She’ll soon realize that her rescue mission had become viral!
Jill Had Some Big Plans
Jill finished dinner and headed back home, thinking she would take the kitty in the house and give her a bath. She already thought of how she would keep the other pets in a separate room to avoid some drama. But as she approached her home, her neighbor across the street ran towards her, asking about the kitty.
Impressive Response
The woman was happy her neighbor was interested in adopting the kitty. Already, she thought she could take the bundle of fluff to her neighbor and then visit them often. But looking at her neighbor’s face, she realized something was off. What happened?
She Saw The Kitty on Facebook
The woman saw the kitten on Jill’s Facebook and came to ask about it, but not because she wanted to adopt it. Then, her neighbor asked if she could see the cat. Jill was confused. Why would she want to see a cat if she wasn’t interested in adopting her?
People on Facebook Went Crazy
Jill then heard her neighbor asking “have you read all the posts on Facebook from the picture you posted?” What was so wrong about her message on Facebook about a cat and why did people went crazy in just two hours?
Here’s where things get really interesting…
Hiding in the Box
Jill’s neighbor arrived in the garage and took a look at the kitten that was hiding under the sweater in the cardboard box. Then she saw the confirmation. What Jill saved from the highway was not a kitten. I was a feline, but not a housecat!
Not a Housecat?
How could the kitten not be a housecat? It looked like a cat, it meowed like a cat, and it definitely acted like one. But then, it all dawns on her. Jill did notice something strange when she picked up the kitty from the street…
It Was a Bobcat!
“I knew she had a short tail when I first saw her, but I had not fully examined her until I got back from dinner,” said Jill, adding that the tail gave it away. She saved a bobcat kitty! Then, all the signs added up…
This Is Not a Housecat
“There are cats with short, stubby tails, but this one was a little pointy at the end and had a little white spot on it. And she had started getting a little hissy ... and growling a little bit. So I said, ‘Yeah, this might be a bobcat,’” explained Jill.
After realizing her mistake, Jill updated her friends on Facebook…
Rescued a Baby Bobcat
“Ok so never mind about rehoming this ‘kitten’ I found on the side of the road. Apparently I rescued a baby bobcat.” This is how her post went viral. So what happened after that?
A Place to Sleep
And to think that Jill was nearly ready to give the kitty a bath and take her to sleep in bed together. Nonetheless, even if it was a wild cat, it needed somewhere to sleep.
Better Stay in The Box
Jill agreed that it was best if the kitty remained in the garage where she already got accustomed with for the past two hours. But she couldn’t leave the kitty alone, so Jill ended up sleeping in the garage with the bobcat!
“About every 30 minutes, I would turn the light on and look to make sure she was good.”
She Ate Tuna Fish
“I did get her to drink a lot of water. She never ate anything that night, but she did eat some tuna fish the next morning,” recalls Jill. After the kitty ate her tuna, Jill called the director of For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue, Juniper Russo.
It was time to learn more about the ‘kitty.’
Learning About the Bobcat
Russo came over to take the bobcat, letting Jill know that the kitty was around 7 weeks old. He had to take it for a vet examination first to see if it needs medical assistance. But what would happen to the cat after this adventure?
Getting Strong and Healthy
Russo explained to The Dodo that the kitty was very anemic and needed to get strong and healthy. Being separated from her mom contributed to the anemia, but after a few days of intensive care, the bobcat named Arwen was doing very well. What was in store for Arwen after that?
Rehabilitation and Release
Arwen had to recover, get rehabilitated and then released back into the wild, explained Russo:
“I expect that she’ll need care until next spring. When the time comes, she’ll be released into a protected wilderness area.”
Going Back Home
Unfortunately, Arwen’s den wasn’t found in the forest close to the road… That meant the baby was going to stay for a while with the rescue, where after a few days, she became aggressive.
This was good news, meaning she got healthy and felt better!
“Little Miss Murdermittens”
The rescue nicknamed Arwen “Little Miss Murdermittens,” and were very happy that the bobcat was not interested in humans, which meant she was just perfect to be released back into the wild.
Meanwhile, Jill said she will always remember the kitty, as “she stole a little piece of my heart that day, and she’ll have it forever.”
Miss Murdermittens Is A Great Hunter
Her story went viral around the world, and everyone wants to know how the kitty is doing. One thing is true, Jill will surely recognize how bobcat kitten looks like next time she discovers stray "kittens."
“Miss Murdermittens is starting to learn pre-hunting skills and likes to leap on her toys and shake them. She’s very proud of the number of feathers, crinkly balls, and catnip mice that she has “killed” and then buried!
Ready to go Back into the Wild
“We’re optimistic about her long-term success and believe she has a healthy and happy life in the wild ahead of her,” Jill updated her friends on Facebook.
Jill might not have rescued a kitty, but she did rescue a bobcat kitten and gave little Arwen a second chance at life.
Call for a Professional
While Jill’s story was one of a kind, when you think you have seen a stray animal or a wild animal that needs help, better call professionals from a local wildlife center for help. They are more experienced in handling these situations and you’ll surely be safer that way.