A few months ago, Indiana resident Katie Zelenika was driving toward Chicago when something on the side of the highway made her heart drop. On the median sat a small orange cat, dangerously close to rushing traffic and seemingly headed straight for it.
“I just thought, ‘There’s no way he’s going to make it across — and no one else is going to stop,’” Zelenika told The Dodo.
Without hesitation, she turned her car around. It took nearly 10 minutes to circle back, and every second felt heavy with worry.
“When I pulled up, he was lying on what looked like a sewer grate,” Zelenika said. “I honestly wasn’t sure if he was still alive.”
As she stepped out of the car, she noticed movement — the cat was breathing. He wasn’t lifeless at all, just overwhelmed, frightened and completely spent. Zelenika approached slowly, terrified he might bolt into traffic.
After 20 to 30 tense minutes, she managed to gently drape a sweatshirt over him and lift him into her car.
From that moment on, Zelenika knew she couldn’t just leave him behind. She contacted the Michiana Humane Society, which agreed to cover his medical care while she fostered him. She named the cat Sunny — a hopeful nod to the brighter days she wanted for him.
At the vet, they learned Sunny didn’t have a microchip and had been declawed. Worse, he’d suffered injuries from being outside during a scorching August day.
“All of his paw pads were burned off from walking,” Zelenika said.
When Sunny first arrived at her home, he was timid and withdrawn. But with patience, safety and kindness, his personality slowly began to emerge.
“He really opened up over time,” Zelenika said. “He became playful, constantly wanted belly rubs and would make air biscuits.”
Two months later, Sunny was ready for his next chapter. He was adopted through the Michiana Humane Society into a loving forever home.
Saying goodbye wasn’t easy for Zelenika. She had watched Sunny go from lying helpless on a highway median to curling up comfortably beside her on the couch.
But thanks to her quick thinking and compassion, Sunny no longer has to worry about traffic, heat or survival. He now gets to live the peaceful, cozy life he always deserved.
To support more rescues like Sunny’s, you can donate to the Michiana Humane Society.
