A 5-week-old Tortie kitten was discovered lying flat on her stomach in the middle of a busy Tampa, Florida road on Monday. Despite the dangerous situation, fate favored her as a compassionate woman stopped, and luckily, a Big Cat Rescue staff member, Jen Leon, was right behind her.
Jen was terrified when she saw the little kitten, who she thought had been hit by a car, laying flat on the road.
Big Cat Rescue is just down the road from this site. And with the CaM family living in the area too, we are all very familiar with this busy roadway.
The woman’s car housing the kitten stow-away was now parked in a turn lane. But the trio had to be very careful that they were not putting themselves in danger while dodging the cars. They were also concerned that the frightened kitten would bolt back out into traffic.
You can hear Jen warn Chris that “If he runs out, I’m going to drop your camera Chris, and grab him. So FYI!”
Victor illuminated the frightened kitten hiding in the wheel well, while Chris, fully gloved, positioned himself under the rear of the car. Jen managed traffic, ensuring safety for all, both human and feline.
Fortunately, Chris was able to reach the tiny tortie girl quickly and safely pull her from the precarious position.
After a brief check to ensure she wasn’t visibly injured, they safely placed her in a carrier and moved to a safer location away from the busy highway.
They searched for signs of a mother cat or other kittens but found nothing. Chris returned later that night after traffic subsided and will continue to do so over the next few days, but there have been no signs of her family in the area so far.
For now, Chris brought the little girl to the CaM household for fostering. They set up an outdoor “kitten halfway house” until she could be examined by a vet.
Due to her misadventures dodging traffic and an adorable little zig-zag pattern of coloring on her nose, Jess named her “Zig Zag”.
Or “Ziggy” since it seems we always default to a nickname right away!
She was very scared and with what she went through, it’s not surprising in the least. So we are being very patient with her. There is little to indicate that she is a feral as you can pick her up with no fuss and she happily accepts being a pet.
Upon closer inspection, it appears Zig Zag has ringworm but no other wounds from her experience. Immediate treatment has begun, and with the assistance of the local foster team, she should recover quickly.
Despite her slow start, Zig Zag shows no signs of dehydration or fleas, which is a relief. It’s unclear how she ended up on the road during rush hour in broad daylight; she may have climbed into someone’s vehicle and fallen out while they were driving, suggesting she might be from another area entirely.
Wherever her life began and her journey took her, fate smiled upon this little girl this day.
Rescuers and caring individuals from Big Cat Rescue were there just in time to save tiny tortie Zig Zag. We’re grateful for their dedication in helping this lonely kitten on the road.
