A fisherman helped save Starfish, the cat, lost and meowing under a pier on the banks of the East River. Nobody knows how she got there, but the tabby was right in the middle of a very busy area between Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Brooklyn. Perhaps, she was hoping for some scraps from local fishermen?
At Greenpoint Cats, who help stray and feral “community cats” in Brooklyn, Rescuers heard about Starfish via email. At the time, the Animal Care Centers of NYC were closed, and a concerned Good Samaritan responded to the cat’s meows near the North Ferry.
When they arrived at the scene, it was late, around 10:00 PM. It would be hard to find a stray cat in such a setting, but sure enough, they heard meows coming from the rocky shoreline. However, they couldn’t see Starfish and finding her would be next to impossible in the rubble. (see video below).
Image: Night on the East River, NY by Bobby Mikul via PublicDomainPictures, CC0 Public Domain.
Fisherman Saves Starfish the Cat
The only thing the rescuers could do at that point was set out a covered trap and hope the cat would go inside. Then, something amazing happened; they met a friendly fisherman out fishing late at night. They called him “Fisherman Star,” and he agreed to watch the trap as he continued fishing into the wee hours. What are the odds in the cold month of December in New York?
Fisherman Star holds huge fish. Images via Instagram/greenpoint_cats
With Fisherman Star on watch, it didn’t take long to catch the “Pier Cat,” later dubbed Starfish. By 11:00 PM, they learned the cat had taken the bait and was safely inside the humane trap. It makes you wonder if Starfish was hoping for a scrap from the fisherman’s catch, which seems likely. Nevertheless, Starfish couldn’t tell her rescuers what had happened.
“She had a lot to say but couldn’t tell us where she came from and how she ended up on the banks of the East River!” they said.
After a vet check, they determined Starfish was about 2 years old and gave her a big clownfish toy to play with. She appears to be ear-tipped, indicating she has been feral and caught through TNR, but the rescuers are pleased to share she’s going to be ready for adoption soon. In the pictures, she looks extremely pleased to be in her foster home, safe and sound.
Hopefully, Starfish will find the purrfect home, like Desmond, an older gentleman cat that Greenpoint Cats rescued too. Many older cats and adorable kittens need homes in the Brooklyn area.
If you’d like to help cats and kittens like Starfish, you can follow Greenpoint Cats on Instagram. Those living nearby can apply to volunteer, foster cats, and adopt, and all can donate on their website.
You can see the whole story via Greenpoint Cats below:
Featured images: Screenshots via Instagram/Greenpoint Cats and Partially frozen East River via Wikimedia Commons by MusikAnimal, (CC BY-SA 3.0).
