Arriving as usual at the Humane Society of Alpena (USA), a shelter employee initially thought someone had left a simple food donation. Near the front door, a box of cat food and a carefully closed cardboard box seemed to have been discreetly placed there during the night. But as she approached, she noticed something strange: the box was empty.
Just behind the sign showing opening hours, a frightened little kitten was running around frantically. He had clearly managed to escape from the cardboard box and couldn't get back in. Left to fend for himself, he had spent hours outside, without shelter or food, until a shelter member finally discovered him. Next to the box, a note had been left.
A telling message
The handwritten note explained that the kitten had been abandoned because he had tested positive for feline leukaemia. His former owner specified that his name was Ashtray, that he loved to play and cuddle, and that he'd been given a bath with washing-up liquid to remove his fleas. "We're sorry we couldn't keep him," the person wrote. "The previous owner didn't tell us he had leukaemia, and we already have another cat."
The shelter staff immediately brought him to safety, providing water, food and a heated blanket. Apart from being slightly underweight, the kitten seemed in good health. Renamed Freddy Krueger, a nod to the Halloween season, he quickly found his bearings.
A warning from the shelter
Whilst the volunteers were relieved that the kitten was safe and sound, they also reminded people that this way of abandoning an animal remained dangerous. "Thank you for choosing a shelter rather than the street," they wrote on Facebook. "But you must always call us first. Leaving an animal at our doors, even in a box, is never the right solution."
Today, Freddy Krueger is receiving the necessary care and remains under observation to confirm or rule out his feline leukaemia diagnosis, a disease that can be stabilised with appropriate monitoring. In the meantime, he continues to play, purr and melt the hearts of everyone who meets his gaze. Soon, he too will be able to hope for a forever family.
