Lucky newborn kitten tossed away like trash found by cat lover who saved her life and became her fluffiest treasure, rescuer says: 'She is a survivor'

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Jun 16, 2026 3:30 PM EDT

You know what they say: one purrson's trash is another purrson's treasure.

Here is a list of appropriate things to throw away in a garbage bag: Food scraps, wrapping paper, empty chip bags, scribbled-on pieces of paper, popped balloons, pens that ran out of ink, and your cat's fur after you brush them. You know what's not on this list? A cat. Or a kitten. Or any living creature, for that matter. We'll never understand people who think it's okay to throw away a kitten in a garbage bag and just leave it there. We're not big on punishment, but if there was any action that deserved a harsh punishment, it should be that one.

Discarded like trash, a newborn kitten was thrown away with its umbilical cord still attached, according to our cat lover's story in Reddit's r/Kittens subreddit. The rescuer's quick thinking saved this kitten's life, by bringing to a veterinarian quickly and getting it on kitten formula. It's now two weeks later, the kitten has finally opened her eyes and is now curious about her new home and the hoomans around her. Thankfully, for Harley (the kitten), this story has a happy ending, but this isn't the case with every discarded cat or kitten.

We wrote an article a few days ago about Turkey and its relationship with its stray cats. The cats there are treated with respect, and they even have laws protecting them from crimes against them caused by hoomans. How did they manage this? By declassifying cats as "property" and reclassifying them as "living beings". It's crazy to us that still, in 2026, this isn't the standard everywhere. They may not speak the same language as us, but they still feel and they do not deserve to be discarded like litter.

We hope that one day soon, cats will have hte same universal protections everywhere, and purrhaps, people will learn to be a little kinder.

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This kitten is going to be a clingy one (that's just how we like them). Seeing as the rescuer quite literally saved her life and is all Harley has ever known, she might as well be her mom. Cats don't really “imprint” the way birds do, but if Harley was found so early that she couldn't even open her eyes, it means that the first purrson she saw was the one who decided to take care of her. The love is there, and we can see it.
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"This dude was a trash can kitty too. Now he’s my wrestle buddy"

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"I found this baby boy under my deck in the cold mud. So I’m a cat mom now too :)"

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(Story below)

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