Traffic was moving fast down a busy Long Island parkway when drivers suddenly heard something that made their hearts drop — desperate, high-pitched cries coming from the side of the road.
When they looked closer, they saw him: a tiny kitten, trembling beside the guardrail.
Some drivers honked, trying to scare the kitten away from danger. Others pulled over, unsure what to do. The frightened little cat darted back and forth, unsure where to turn — until he began to “scream” for help, hoping someone would hear him.
That someone was John Debacker, a well-known local rescuer who spends his days helping feral cats across Long Island.
“He began screaming,” Debacker wrote on Facebook. “I raced to the scene and arrived within 30 minutes.”
When Debacker got there, the tiny kitten was still dangerously close to traffic — terrified, hungry, and confused.
“The baby kept trying to run back into the road,” Debacker told The Dodo. “So the original caller and I stood between him and the cars to block him from going back.”
With patience and gentle timing, Debacker set out a bit of food. As the kitten sniffed at it, Debacker made his move — carefully scooping the baby up and holding him tight against his chest.
The second he felt safe arms around him, the little kitten melted.
“He was very calm and did not freak out at all,” Debacker said.
Debacker named him Meadowbrook, after the Meadowbrook Parkway where he was found. The name marked not only where he’d come from — but where his new life began.
He brought Meadowbrook to The Shabby Tabby Cat Café, a cozy cat café and rescue that helps cats find loving homes. There, the once-terrified highway kitten now lounges peacefully, meeting new friends and waiting for a forever family to fall in love with him.
“He’s doing great,” Debacker said. “Now he just needs his happy ending.”
Hopefully, it won’t be long before Meadowbrook’s cries are replaced with purrs in a home of his own.
You can follow John Debacker on Facebook to see more of his incredible rescues and heartwarming saves.
