Cat Knew She Needed Help — So She Climbed Into Woman's Car
"While I was putting my purse in the passenger seat, the little cat jumped right up in my lap!"
A stray cat in Salt Lake City, Utah, needed help — so she decided to go ahead and ask for it.
Last week, Susannah Nevison, a doctoral student at the University of Utah who supervises a pedagogy class at a local middle school on Thursdays, was walking across the parking lot with one of her students when they noticed a hanger-on.
"A beautiful little cat started following us," Nevison told The Dodo. "When I got to my car, I opened the door and climbed in."
The cat wasn't about to let Nevison get away that easily.
"While I was putting my purse in the passenger seat, the little cat jumped right up in my lap!" Nevison said. "I was kind of stunned — she just sat in my lap purring and nuzzling, and eventually climbed up on my shoulder."
But there is a slightly unfortunate twist. Nevison, a long-time dog lover and owner, is allergic to cats. She also noticed that the stray's eye seemed to be bothering her, so the little cat would definitely need help dealing with that. And indeed the cat seemed to be asking for help, just by climbing into the car.
"Since the cat didn’t have a collar, and clearly wanted a ride, I drove her to a local shelter," Nevison said.
At Salt Lake County Animal Services (SLCAS), staff checked for a microchip — there wasn't one. The 1-year-old cat had been fending for herself on the streets, but that seemed to have no impact on her sweetness.
"She’s very sweet and has a very quiet purr," Callista Pearson, marketing and communications manager for SLCAS, told The Dodo. "It actually looks like the eye/socket did not form correctly which is why we will remove it; if not it could get infected and be very painful for her."
If no one claims the sweet little cat, she'll be ready for adoption on November 3, once she gets spayed and has surgery for her eye. Until then, she seems happy to explore the shelter and snuggle with the staff.
As tempting as it was, Nevison just couldn't take the cat home — but she's determined to help find another home for her. "She is a beautiful tabby, with a coat that looks like marble," Nevison said.
