After three months of surviving out of a storm drain, this sick cat who was abandoned by his previous family finally had someone notice him, see that he's in need of help, and save him right before a major storm

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Jul 2, 2026 2:15 PM EDT

How hard would you work to gain an abandoned cat's trust?

If you're reading this right now, on ICHC, then you're probably someone who loves cats so, so much. Everyone here is a cat person. We see so often stories about cats being abandoned, wondering what kind of people would abandon innocent creatures like that, and we ask- we beg, the people reading our coverage of these stories to be the kind of people who would do something about it if they saw an abandoned cat outside.

We believe that the people who are here right now, reading these stories, are exactly the kind of people who would do something to help a cat in need. In fact, we don't just believe it. We know it. Countless times, our audience members have shared their cat rescue stories with us. You guys have rescued cats from the streets, from long stays in shelters, from car engines, dumpsters and everything in between. We were going to ask what you would have done had you come across the kitten in this story – knowing it was abandoned by its previous family, finding it barely surviving in a storm drain. But we don't need to ask. We know what you would do.

We wouldn't even be surprised if the person who rescued Gio and wrote about it on r/CatDistributionSystem is one of our ICHC readers. The patience they showed, coming back to this cat over and over, gently getting the cat to trust them, allowing the cat to choose them and only then taking them home – that is how a real cat person acts, and it is exactly how we wish everyone in the world could act toward cats in need. More people like this, more stories like this, and the whole world would look a little brighter.

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    "i found this man in a storm drain"

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    via ilIa_mae
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    little Gio boy poor baby was abandoned by his previous family and took up residence in a storm drain near my office :(
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    one day he decided to walk around the complex and i saw him. i asked around at other offices and apparently he'd been living in the drain for about three months at that point. he had fleas and worms and scratches :(
    via ilIa_mae

  • We cannot imagine how scared he must have been. Our heart breaks for every abandoned cat out there, and we can only wish and pray that every one of them will be found by someone like this. 

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    for three days i'd check on him, give him food and water, and eat my lunch with him. but the fourth day was a friday and it was supposed to be bad storms all weekend, so i made the call to kidnap him.
    via ilIa_mae
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    he's the SWEETEST little boy ever, the three resident girls absolutely adore him. he's a goober and a trouble maker, but i'm so lucky to have found him. my little parrot boy!!
    via ilIa_mae

  • You made the right choice in kidnapping him. We can't think of many worse places to be during a storm than in a storm drain. He would have been taken completely off guard, and chances are that he wouldn't have made it at all. You didn't just adopt him. You saved his life. 

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    364 Quality Since 1906 & Engineered in the USA
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    the full gang btw Sakura (top left), Ilia (top right), Petra (bottom left), and the star of this post Gio (bottom right)
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    cattabyss I can tell from his photos that he's a special cat (not that they aren't all special, but some cats are genuinely special creatures). You're wonderful for rescuing him. People who abandon animals are
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    illa_mae OP he's genuinely just a little ray of sunshine!! he's been such a perfect addition to the cat family, his sisters LOVE him and he gives me snuggles whenever the girls are feeling introverted lol i knew i couldn't live with myself if i left him in that drain. i get angry thinking about the that abandoned him, but at least he's in a safe loving home now solid 8 hours his first day home he slept for a
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    North-Pea-4926 I can sense the goober-ness. Very high quality.
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    illa_mae OP i swear he started out smart it's like each day in his new home, he lost a braincell and now he's a pure blooded goob
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    LovedAJackass I'm sure he's grateful every day to have a home and love. But let me say thanks on his behalf.
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    illa_mae OP aww thank you i can tell he's grateful for the endless toys and food and three sisters! he slept for at least 8 hours straight his first day home, but he warmed up real quick after that
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    Estellalatte He will love you forever.
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aww wholesome cat adorable adoption heartwarming cute adopted story Cats rescue
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