Kitten who wasn't adopted "quickly enough" from a shelter gets put out on the streets, her cries for help get ignored by everyone until a kind person finally stops and takes her home

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Aug 21, 2026 1:30 PM EDT

When we bring a cat to a shelter, we imagine it will be safe there until it's adopted…

Every once in a while, we will come across stories of cats being abandoned by owners who didn't want them anymore or couldn't take care of them anymore. The cats whose stories we find are generally cats who have been found and rescued, but we're sure there are many more stories like these that we don't hear because the cats are not found. So, every time we cover a story like this one, we make sure to remind people - to educate them - that there are better options than throwing your cat out onto the street, one of them being bringing your cat to a shelter. 

Shelters are sacred places in the cat community. They take in cats in need of help and give them what they need until they get forever homes. Or at least that is what we thought. Today's story has, unfortunately, shown us otherwise. The abandoned kitten in today's story was one who was already rescued once before. A couple found her on the streets, decided, for whatever reason, that they couldn't adopt her, and did the right thing - bringing her to a shelter. 

Except that this shelter apparently has a time limit on the stay of the kittens there. When the kitten was found and rescued again, she was 6 months old and had been on the streets for at least 3 weeks. The shelter didn't have her for long. It was lucky that she was found again, and most likely, it was even bigger luck that this person went ahead and found this kitten a real foster, one that will wait for the right person to adopt her, rather than bringing her back into the shelter that dumped her for a second time. 

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  • 01

    "CDS system strikes again as I was pulling into my apartment garage (happy ending included!)"

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  • 02
    Pulled into my apartments after work on Wednesday last week, I get to the fourth floor and I see a black kitten roaming around by two women.
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  • 03
    LLIMESTO
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  • 04
    I pull into a spot immediately and I get out to ask if they need help (thinking it was theirs....but they weren't as panicked as I was about her roaming around).
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  • 06
    Come to find out she's been there for almost 3 weeks! One couple trapped her and got her to BARC only to find out she was released back to the community because she wasn't adopted quick enough. For reference, the "community" is right off a major hwy.
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  • 07
    J
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  • 08
    I was absolutely not about to let her spend one more day in that hot and dangerous garage! So I get changed and spend the rest of the night trying to trap her. She walked into the trap at 4:30 am while I was next to her (I checked it every hour to make sure she wasn't in it and scared).
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  • 09
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  • 10
    Got her all set up in our bathroom for 2 nights. I would have kept her but I just adopted a cat and have a resident cat and dog at home who are still getting used to the newest arrival.
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  • 12
    I was able to get her to an amazing rescue Friday morning -the one I adopted my cat from. They were full but she didn't hesitate to take her in and make it work!
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    I am so grateful she's now at a foster home and settling in comfortably! She just wants to be loved and I can't wait to see her bloom! She's about 12 weeks old with a long amazing life ahead of her!
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  • We can only imagine how many people walked past her in those three weeks. And although we would like to be upset at all of them for not helping, we will instead focus on the people who did - the person telling this story and the couple who really did try to do right by her by bringing her to the shelter. 

  • 15
    Tina-Tuna Thank you for saving her ❤
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    Lifeguard Busy9919 OP So grateful it worked out like this for her ♡
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    cattabyss She's beautiful!!
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    LifeguardBusy9919 OP She is! And so playful and curious!
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    Uprooted_Vt_to_RI You are best life! amazing! This little girl is already living her
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    Lifeguard Busy9919 OP She's already running the foster home lol it's her world and we're just living in it!
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  • 21
    jeanb23 Thank you for saving her. I hope she gets a wonderful home as soon as possible.
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    LifeguardBusy9919 OP She absolutely will! I am so glad she gets chance to be loved a
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  • 23
    Turnover_Realistic You did what others wouldn't. You took a chance to save her and were successful, Congratulations
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aww wholesome cat adorable adoption heartwarming cute adopted story Cats rescue
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