Deserts look pretty in pictures, but they can be extremely inhospitable places with no water found for miles. If you happen to find yourself in the middle of the desert you’d probably never expect to find a cat carrier on the side of the road.
A Cat Carrier in the Desert?
An unnamed woman (she chooses to remain anonymous) was driving along a hot desert road like any other normal day. On her route, she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. But what could it possibly be out here in the middle of nowhere? The object resembled a cat carrier but surely it couldn’t be, could it?!
The woman got closer and closer to the object and realized it was indeed a cat carrier! All she could hope for was that it was just discarded and nothing was inside. Upon closer inspection, she saw something inside.
“She pulled her car over and, with a sinking heart, realized it was indeed a carrier, with a filthy, crusty towel inside.”
But that wasn’t all…
It wasn’t just a nasty towel. Inside, a small grey tabby was confined within the four plastic walls. As one would expect, the poor tabby, later named John, wasn’t doing well. He was unresponsive, and hardly breathing. His little system was crashing. With immediate intervention, he would have been gone.
Right away, the woman raced into action, pouring a little bit of water on the small floof and starting chest compressions.
It’s best that you pour some water or place a cool wet towel on an overheated animal or even human before giving them water to drink. And why is this better than giving them a drink at first? The water cools down their body temperature and absorbs into the skin. If you give them water to drink right away, the heat could aid the water in making their stomachs upset or it could end up in their lungs!
Note: Applying tepid, lukewarm water is actually preferable to cold water, which can dangerously cause heat to be trapped as it constricts blood vessels in the skin.
From their current spot, it was another two hours until home where the rescuer could properly care for the kitten. Now it was truly a race against time.
John Makes A Miraculous Recovery
“And somehow, a miracle happened
and John pulled through! He got a nice bath. With time and TLC, he fully recovered from his near death ordeal.”
The little kitten pulled through! He successfully made that two-hour drive back to the woman’s home where he received medical care, food, and love. And as you see above, he was named John after the late, great Olivia Newton-John. John’s story was told to Kitten Rescue by the unnamed woman, who is now also his foster parent. It seems she was destined to be John’s guardian angel.
Angels in Disguise
Since his glow-up, he gets along great with dogs, other cats, and even other humans.
“Thank You again to the foster mom for her eagle eyes in spotting the carrier and her quick, expert action that saved John from more suffering and from a horrible death, all alone in the desert.”
If you would like to adopt a kitten like John, there are so many that need homes in the LA area! Thanks to wonderful guardian angels in disguise everywhere, they have a chance for a lifetime of companionship and love.
Recently, Kitten Rescue LA held their 25th anniversary Fur Ball at the Skirball celebration with a special appearance by Miranda Cosgrove.
“I think everybody should try fostering animals, fostering a cat. See how it makes you feel,” she said as she accepted a distinguished Angel Award for her help saving cats and kittens.
REMEMBER: ADOPT, DON’T SHOP; FOSTERING SAVES LIVES & SPAY AND NEUTER!
All photos by Kitten Rescue/Facebook and Kitten Rescue website.
