Kind master’s student couple discovers abandoned kitten and her injured mama cat living in a Costco parking lot, rescues them both: ‘She calmed down the moment her mom was safe’

CONTINUED: 

At the time, my partner and I were living in a small apartment in Miami while I completed my master’s degree, and we were planning to move to New England later that year. Financially and practically, we weren’t in a position to take on one cat—let alone two. We initially drove around to different animal shelters, hoping they could help, but every single one turned us away because they were full. With no other option, we brought the cats back to our apartment, hoping to find a shelter or foster home that could take them.

The next day, we took them to a vet who generously offered to examine both cats, perform blood work, and take x-rays of Marin’s injuries for free. The vet confirmed that Marin was only about 8–10 months old, and Mona was just 8 weeks. She explained that Marin’s front right paw had been broken for some time and had healed improperly, while her back left leg had a fresh break that would cost around $5,000 to repair. Moved by our distress, the vet gave Marin pain medication, wrapped her leg in a splint, and provided contact information for a local clinic that offered discounted surgeries.

After Marin was sedated and treated, we drove home—still not planning to keep the cats, but hoping to find a shelter that could help. Unfortunately, we quickly realized that the shelters in Miami were too full and overworked. We didn’t want to separate the two cats, and we couldn’t bear the thought of Marin not getting the surgery she needed. That led us to start a GoFundMe, and thanks to the generosity of donations, we raised enough money for the discounted surgery at the clinic.