'Sorry, this is how we're doing things': Cat pawrent alerts PetCo staff after witnessing a flustered man dumping his kitten in the middle of the aisle and running away

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Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Apr 14, 2026 2:15 PM EDT

"The greatness of humanity is not in being human, but in being humane." - Mahatma Gandhi

We like to think that humanity as a whole is good, but all of these cat abandonment stories are pushing that theory to the limit. While a lack of education about the responsibilities of owning a pet might have been something relevant in the past, we're past the point of giving people that excuse in 2026. Humanity has never been more informed about every topic on Earth than right now, especially with most people having access to AI on their smartphones. So if it's not a lack of knowledge, what is it?

Purrsonally, we think it's a lack of empathy. By convincing ourselves that it's going to work out and then focusing on our other problems, we release ourselves from the responsibility for our actions by keeping them out of sight and out of mind. This is the opposite of what Gandhi meant by being "humane" - extending kindness to others and showing compassion to others, even animals. Making mistakes is part of being human, but abandoning a cat is no mistake. Just like the tiny black kitten that got abandoned in PetCo yesterday.

While shopping for something for her cat's birthday (adorable) at PetCo, a cat pawrent witnessed a man opening up a cat carrier and literally dumping his black kitten in the middle of the aisle. She alterted the staff, who, fortunately, were able to get the poor kitty to safety and set up for adoption. We hope she finds a home with someone who actually appreciates her.

To all of you out there who are thinking about adopting a cat for yourselves or because your kids won't stop asking you for one, please remember that these cats and kittens are living creatures with feelings. They may not speak the same language as we do, but they understand safety, abandonment, and loneliness. They might survive, but they will never forget. 

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    Ökocat sWeat A HEALTHIER C Scoop STRENGTH MUL-CAT STRENGTH SWheat Scoop 1121 Fell Feline Pine ORIGINAL Feline Pine PINE 750 499 Felin ORIGINAL
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    Today I was at Petco picking up a treat for my cat's birthday when I rounded the corner of an aisle and saw a kitten crawling under a shelf. A flustered man left the aisle holding an unzipped carrier, and muttered something along the lines of "sorry, this is how we're doing things." I thought maybe his cat had gotten loose and he was
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    heading to the other side to grab her, but the man beelined straight out of the store! It took me a second to process what I had just saw and then noticed he had left out an opened pate for her in the aisle. He had just dumped his cat at Petco.
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  • All cats deserve to have a hooman, but not all hoomans deserve to have a cat. The love of a cat is irreplaceable, and unlike any other love you will ever know, but some people don't give them the chance to show that love. She might be better off with a new family, but she didn't deserve to be abandoned in the first place. You fight for the things you love, and clearly, she wasn't loved enough to be fought for.

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    I didn't want to pick her up since I wasn't sure if she'd had her rabies shot, so I called over an employee who was able to grab her with extra long gloves. The kitten had a pink bell collar on but no tags and seemed super scared. The staff got her set up in one of the adoption
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    enclosures and mentioned this happens at their stores more often than you'd think. They said someone had recently done the same thing by leaving their dog in the Petco bathroom. How awful!
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    The store said they have a liaison who works with the shelter across the street (yes, literally across the street!!!), already scheduled to come in that day, so the little lady will get all checked out and hopefully find a better home soon. This has been on my mind
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    all day and I've been feeling a mix a sad, angry, and hopeful all at once, so I just wanted to share this somewhere. I'm typing this at home as I sit next my own kitten.
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    Cheezburger Image 10623724800
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    WorkHardPlayLittle Poor kitty, she doesn't understand what's going on. Hopefully she'll go to a better home with people who truly love her.
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    DongBeetle Why would he not take her to a shelter
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    Pet store rescue success!

    appleseabloom
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    "Got one of my girls this way, but she was ditched at Petsmart. My boyfriend was working there when someone walked in, dropped her in an aisle, and walked out. She was around 8 months old. Now she is 4 years, and we are happy that most of her life has been with us. She is our little mold spore"

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    ElectricalGrape5439 I got my first cat from a litter abandoned outside of a petco. I felt so lucky to be at the right time and place to be able to take him home with me. That was 15 years ago, next month it will be a year since we had to put him down. I will be forever grateful for that time with him.
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    Pale-Independent521 I have two black cats and seeing this hurt my heart so much
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    DaWarGod2 Better a petco than middle of the woods.
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    Silent HillNA This is how I got my boy about 17 years ago. None of the shelters would take him so he figured leaving him in a carrier in the bathroom was better. I think all this time later, Oliver would agree. It does happen very often sadly.
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    Oliver

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    "Our Oliver just the other day. I'm grateful they left him because I knew he was coming home with me."

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    Nervous_Squirrel_ Not technically the worst place to abandon a pet. Bit still to do.
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    ExtraPicklesPls I managed a petco in a very affluent area for a few years and finding a box with random animals in it on the door step when I opened in the AM was a regular occurrence. Lots of guinea pigs, turtles, bearded dragons, etc. Occasionally a
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    kitten or puppy but mostly the type of pets kids beg their parents to buy and then get tired of or it outgrown the tiny habitat they originally bought with it. Pet retail is its own special layer of h I.
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    ElectronicEye4595 I used to groom for petsmart and brought my foster kittens to work with me. At the time we didn't have a cat rescue in the store and my manager came in to ask me if I was keeping my kittens in the cat kennels, I said no. Someone walked in, put a litter of kittens in a cage and walked back out.
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    Ok-Journalist-7063 I used to work at an animal shelter that had a Petco across the street. Someone dropping off a cat outside the front door of the Petco overnight is how I ended up with my first cat. I always wonder why they didn't drop him off outside the shelter literally right there, though!
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    KittyJun I worked at Petco for 3.5 years...can confirm.
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petco black cats flustered kitten cat owners pawrents Cats dumped animals pet store
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