A kitten was rescued by a stunt crew after they searched everywhere for him.
About a week ago, Jason Mello, a stunt performer, was working in a residential neighborhood in Queens, New York (on the set of FBI the TV series). When he came down from the roof of a building, he would periodically hear a kitten crying.
“It sounded really young and in distress, but I couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from,” Jason told us. “As the day went on, the crying got louder and there were a few cries.”
Jason worried that the kitten might be caught in a fence or hurt. When he wasn’t needed for the set, he immediately went to find the kitten. “I looked around in the backyard with the help of Shane Geraghty and Ben Rezendes (from the stunt crew).”
After searching around the area, they located a tiny tabby in the yard behind the house where the set was, and the kitten was on the other side of the fence.
Once Jason got a close look at the kitten, he was shocked by the deplorable condition. “The kitten was incredibly small, curled up next to some bricks and there was a dead raccoon about a foot from him.”
Without hesitation, Jason utilized his acrobatic skills to the rescue. “I grabbed a plastic bin from my car, and hopped the fence, while Shane and Ben helped me safely get the kitten over the fence and away from the area,” Jason told us.
“We kept the kitten warm with some towels and tried to give him some water but he was unable to drink. Word slowly got around set and Rebeccah, a very wonderful props person, was able to facilitate everything for the kitten very quickly.”
She got in touch with her local animal rescue, Little Wanderers NYC, and found a fosterer who was equipped to care for the neonatal kitten. Shane then volunteered to transport the tabby to his foster home.
“They (also) searched for the cat mom but didn’t find her, and left a note with the neighbors in case anyone spots her,” Dr. Iris V. Hood, a volunteer of Little Wanderers NYC, shared with us.
The kitten whom they named Sid, was dehydrated, starving and covered in fleas. “I was able to give him a gentle bath and comb out all the fleas. The night I got him, I stayed up all night and made sure he got fluids in him,” Dr. Hood added.
The next morning, Dr. Hood, who teaches science at a high school, had to go to work for her 8AM class. She traveled home between classes to keep the kitten fed and cared for.
Watch Sid the kitten in this video:
With round-the-clock feedings, plenty of TLC, and assistance from the resident cats, Sid is putting on weight and getting very active.
“Now, he is eating and digesting his food well. He is making steady weight gains every day,” Dr. Hood shared with us.
Sid has come so far in just one week. He is gaining lots of muscle strength and putting his legs to good use. He will cuddle up to his foster mom after each feeding or playtime, and purr himself to sleep in her arms.
The sweet tabby will never spend another day on the streets. He is living the life as a spoiled indoor kitten with everything he wants at his fingertips.
