The nightly news and morning papers are filled with depressing headlines and gut-wrenching stories. It's sometimes hard to remember that there’s also an incredible amount of good in the world that often goes unnoticed. Perhaps some of the most heart-warming tales (or tails) are of everyday heroes saving adorable cats and kittens.
We know you love your fur babies, but how far would you go to save them? People have fought their way through fires, scaled buildings, and performed other super-human stunts all for the love of kitties.
In the midst of negative news, here are some heart-warming, feel-good stories of amazing heroes saving cats and kittens.
Hot, Hot, Hot Cats and Kittens
Purr-haps the most quintessential story of feline rescues is that of cats and kittens being saved by firefighters – and for good reason! Here are some harrowing reports of fur babies who've been plucked from the flames just in the nick of time with their cuteness intact.
Camp Fire Rescue
In November 2018, while clearing debris from the horrific Camp Fire that devastated Paradise, CA, a firefighter found a cat who had survived the terrible event.
When the gray kitty realized he'd been rescued, he immediately took to fireman Ryan Coleman. The cat climbed on top of Coleman's shoulders to ride to safety and there he stayed as the firefighter continued to do his work surveying the damage of the fire.
Thankfully, because of a video posted by the firefighter, the cat's owners found him. The owners were able to have their fur baby safely taken in by neighbors so the cute kitty could avoid the animal shelter and recover in comfort.
Mama Cat Saves the Day
Firefighters aren't the only heroes who save cats and kittens from fiery disasters.
In Brooklyn, NY, a mama cat named Scarlett and her five kittens found shelter in an abandoned building before it suddenly caught fire. Scarlett could've saved herself from the terrible, quick-burning flames, but her babies were too young to get out on their own.
Rather than flee to safety, Scarlett went back into the fire five times to save each of her kittens one by one. She almost lost her life in the process, but that fierce maternal instinct kept her going.
When firefighters arrived, the mama cat was barely hanging on. Thankfully, they took Scarlett and her babies to a local veterinary clinic. Over the course of three months, the furry family recovered fully and were eventually strong and healthy enough to be adopted.
Six-Story Cat Walk
In addition to cats and kittens being courageously saved from fires, sometimes kitties need help down form heights.
On April 24, 2019, a Toronto cat owner risked his own life to save his kitty. His fur baby had climbed over the balcony of their sixth story apartment, scaled the ledge, and gotten itself stuck on the neighbor's balcony.
Metro.co.uk claims that the owner saw the cat on his neighbor's balcony where it was trying to squeeze itself under the glass. When the man realized his neighbors weren't home, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He knew he needed to rescue his cat before it could get hurt or tragically fall.
A video posted on Instagram shows the man carefully walking the ledge between his balcony and that of his neighbor to get to the trapped cat. The pet parent managed to successfully grab his kitty and carry it back across the narrow walkway to safety.
Surely, the man did what any Spiderman-inspired cat dad would do for his fur baby.
Cold Weather Rescues
The winter months can be an especially dangerous time for cats and kittens.
While many kitties live outdoors even in cold temperatures, the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine warns that"the combination of low temperatures, wind, and snow/ice can predispose cats to hypothermia and frostbite."
On January 21, 2019, people across the U.S. were outside in the middle of the night to see the lunar blood moon eclipse. Police Officer Matt Froiseth from Wisconsin was one such person. The officer had stopped to look at the moon on his nightly rounds when he heard the desperate meows of a kitten nearby.
A small black kitty was buried in almost three feet of snow in the sub-zero temperatures. After carefully digging through snow and rocks, the officer found the cat in a ditch. He wrapped the fur baby up in his warm winter hat and quickly got him to a local vet.
The police department posted the story on their Facebook page. Then, when no one claimed the kitty, Officer Froiseth adopted the cat himself. The police officer and his cat — now named "Donut" — are reportedly very happy together.
Have you heard a paws-itively heroic story of cats and kittens being rescued? Share them with us in the comments below!