Kitten Found Starving In The Rain

This little Tortie was spotted trying to eat a rice muffin someone threw out for the birds, drenched, soaking wet in the rain. The person then posted on a neighborhood "Buy Nothing" group.

My neighbors and I have helped a few other strays in Hell's Kitchen and happened to still have a borrowed trap, so we ran over to try and catch her before the big storm rolled in.

Poor little girl must have been starving because she went into the trap within an hour, during a downpour, to try and get something to eat. Kim Corrigan rushed to get her and brought her to my apartment.

And friends, this breaks my heart. Poor little baby is a bag of BONES. Literally she feels like skin and sticks. She was shivering, weak, wet and looked helpless. But she is a fighter!

We got her comfy and warm, and she immediately let me pet her, and watch the video - IMMEDIATE PURRS AND BISCUIT MAKING! The cutest little angel.

I honestly think this was the first time in HER LIFE she felt safe and warm, and she slept thru the night - after devouring a whole can of cat food! I was met this morning with a timid girl, until I touched her head with love and she melted with more purrs and morning biscuits.

She was crying out for help on that patio, belly empty, and shivering wet, and now she is safe. But she has a long road ahead of her.

This is where we need YOUR help please.

She will need a vet exam, deworming, medicine as she is sniffly and wheezing (who wouldn't be after existing in the rain outside at about 12 weeks old tops) and sadly she has some bumps where there shouldn't be bumps - or bones sticking out. She has a cut on her paw, that will need treated and she will need vaccines, and a SNAP test that screens cats for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) , feline leukemia virus (FeLV), and feline heartworm (FHW). As you know these things are costly.

We ARE NOT A RESCUE - just some neighborhood women who care about cats. We have learned from the last kitty saves that all the above runs at least $1000 with medicine, exams and treatments. And then she will need spayed and chipped at some point. Plus the cost of care, food, etc.

So we find ourselves ASKING FOR YOUR HELP ONCE AGAIN. MANY of you have already been so generous with the previous kitties, but we need any help you can offer. Even if it is a few dollars, it helps.

So without being obnoxious, we ask our friends, neighbors and strangers to forego your morning Starbuck, or skip that take out order today, or dig for the change in your purse, and make a donation of any size.

This girl needs us humans to help her live, and have a beautiful life.

P.S. She will be available for fostering and adoption! And trust me, she is a special little heartbreaker!

We have named her Ava Rain.