Rescuers race against time to find kittens left behind in the hurricane

As Hurricane Milton rapidly increased in strength as it headed toward the Florida coast, communities were urged to either prepare or evacuate, but one person stopped their preparations and jumped in to help a mother cat and her babies.

Nikki, the vice president of A Better Life-Pet Rescue of Florida, received a call at 10 p.m. the night before Hurricane Milton made landfall. Someone she had previously worked with told her that a mother cat and her kittens were left in a house that had not been occupied for several weeks.

“I said it [my husband] “If I don’t get it, I’ll never forgive myself,” she said Newsweek.

She especially felt like she couldn’t leave after knowing the area was completely flooded after Hurricane Ian in 2022. Nikki said they weren’t told to evacuate this time, but she didn’t want to risk those babies not making it.

Nikki and her friend drove about 30 minutes to the house and when they arrived the cat came running. She said it was like the cat was waiting for her. The cat led them around the house, constantly looking back to check if they were following her. She took them straight to her seven kittens.

They noticed that there were empty food and water bowls outside and could tell that the cat was starving. They put them in a carrier with food while they began grabbing the kittens. Nikki said the mother didn’t seem to mind them taking the babies either. It’s like she knows they’re helping.

She filmed the quick 15-minute rescue and shared it to the TikTok account @ruger121 on October 9. The cat did her best to keep her babies covered and protected and prepared for the storm. But luckily the cats didn’t have to endure it alone. Nikki and her friend immediately found all seven kittens and the mother. They put her in the carrier and took her back to Nikki’s house to wait out the storm.

Nikki sheltered 40 cats while Hurricane Milton ripped through the state. Her home was full of shipping boxes. She wanted to save as many as possible.

The mother cat and her babies are living in a temporary foster home while they recover and get stronger, Nikki said. They all look great, she said, but some had eye infections and one cat appeared injured. Once they are healthier, they will be moved to another foster home.

As for the adoption process, she said it’s too early. The kittens are only about two weeks old. Her eyes are just beginning to open. But she believes that when the time comes, they will be adopted quickly, including the mother cat, because she is “so trusting and grateful.”

With over 3.5 million views on TikTok, people loved the heroic rescue and shared how grateful they were that she made the journey as the hurricane quickly approached.

“Poor mom was stressed. “Thank you for helping her,” one viewer said.

Another pointed out: “She had put them away for safety reasons.”

A third person wrote: “Tail was straight up because she was so happy that someone was finally coming to save her babies.” I’m not crying.”