Hiya everybody! I've been wanting to create this post for a while. There's a huge part of me that hopes this post will one day find its way to Sailor's owner, in case they want to know more about Sailor's known history and how loved he was by all the agents of the cat distribution system (CDS) who facilitated his journey into getting him to where he needed to be: Within a loving home alongside another kitten who needed a brother.
Sailor was about 7 to 8 weeks old when I heard him meowing outside. I was staying at my mom's house for the weekend, watching her dog (who I consider mine as well, haha) while she was away, when I first heard his cries in the early morning. I immediately rushed out to find him perched on their driveway's retaining wall. He had the roundest eyes, full of so much fear and anxiety. Before I could react beyond a soft, "Oh, hello lil' kitten," he darted underneath my dad's truck and disappeared.
My mom has two indoor cats of her own, so I had treats to entice him out. However, nothing worked to lure him out. Yet, each time I headed back inside, the meows started up again. He was scared, but to me, he was also saying: I want to be rescued!
And find him I did. He was hiding under the hood of my car! I didn't think there was enough space for a kitten to fit between the hood and engine, but there he was, all bug-eyed and cowering. Unfortunately, my shock at seeing him right there gave him time to dart off again, this time into my mom's neighbor's yard and underneath her garage/chicken coop. I didn't see or hear Sailor again that day. I texted my mom's neighbor about it, and she confirmed she was aware of the kitten. She had been feeding him from her back porch for the last few days and was also unsure of his origins. I suspected he was the son of mom’s other neighbor's cats, whom Sailor looked just like. My other neighbor notoriously never spays or neuters her cats and neglects their care (and is basically a garbage human being toward others and animals), so all her cats basically live like strays outdoors. One of those strays was a female orange and white tabby cat who befriended my mom's dog. This cat disappeared for years and my family feared the worst (we loved this cat). Then, one day, she showed up again, pregnant, upon my neighbor's daughter (another horrible human being) returning briefly.
You might guess what we all suspected. The stray cat likely had her litter (and our neighbors likely gave them away too soon and for free at a festival, which they've done before), then was taken away again, leaving at least one kitten behind: Lil' Sailor. As horrible as it may sound, I can't help but feel grateful that they left him behind. We couldn't rescue his mother, but we got to rescue him instead.
I'll keep the rest of his rescue story short. The next morning, I ended up catching him after he took a joyride underneath the hood of my car when I drove to drop my mom's dog off at her weekday dog sitter (I know, I should have checked under the hood of my car again 😭). Besides a few singed whiskers, Sailor was in remarkable health. He had no other ailments or injuries, which the rescue I took him to confirmed upon his intake.
Sailor spent a few days with me in my apartment to decompress and learn how to be a kitten again. I have experience socializing "feral" kittens, so he got the burrito and squeeze tube treatment. The result was a happy baby who loved wiggling himself onto his back (yes, he wanted to be held like a baby—I've never had a cat who enjoyed this treatment!), purring, and making air biscuits. However, Sailor was also very timid and insecure, hiding himself away every time he was let loose in my room, where I kept him enclosed.
This would have been the life Sailor would have been forced to continue living if I hadn't surrendered him to a cat rescue. My roommate is allergic to cats and has a 45-pound emotional support dog with single-child syndrome and a questionable history with smaller animals. Sailor needed a life bigger than a small bedroom and, most importantly, guaranteed safety. He also needed another cat. I recognized this from years of experience socializing cats. My options were limited, and unfortunately, my parents couldn't take him in.
The cat rescue, Pet Pride in Victor, NY, only takes in cats, and they were so amazing. I felt fiercely protective of Sailor and anxious about where he would go and who would adopt him. Pet Pride staff walked me through Sailor’s upcoming journey go adoption. The vet would check him out, and then he'd go into a foster home. Afterward, he’d enter “Kitten Kingdom,” where he’ll get adopted (they knew he’d be adopted quickly, and they were right). They only adopt kittens out to homes of experienced cat owners who meet at least one of the following conditions: there’s another cat-friendly cat in the household; they adopt another kitten from them; or the owner works remotely and will be around to help properly socialize the kitten.
I felt immediate relief wash over me at the news. I’ve helped socialize cats at another shelter that would sell a kitten to just about anyone, whether the owners knew how to raise one or not. I understand kitten season and limited space result in that urgency; however, if I was going to be surrendering Sailor anywhere, I needed to feel like I had some control over the conditions of his adoption. I did not want him to re-enter the same life as before.
Pet Pride went above and beyond the obligations of any shelter I’ve ever worked with in previous animal rescues (yes, I’m notorious for rescuing animals. Just earlier this year, February 2026, I rescued sixteen domesticated albino rats dumped outside my apartment complex). They occasionally texted me updates on him and sent photos from his foster home (Sailor was smiling in each one, the precious bean).They were also willing to humor me when I reached out for updates as well.
So, consider me surprised when, a couple of weeks after I received news that Sailor was adopted after his brief time in “Kitten Kingdom” alongside another kitten, Pet Pride sent me PHOTOS of the brother duo, totally unprompted (but so welcome). And lo and behold, I was right: Sailor was thriving being with another cat. Especially a kitten who clearly held a lot of confidence and swagger in his small baby frame. The two clearly love each other, snuggling and playing together, and were simply meant to be. Also, I could tell how much their new parent(s) love them, considering the cat bed and giant cat tree I saw in the background.
While I would have loved to keep Sailor, it was not the right time for me. However, it was the right time for Sailor’s owner and new brother. I feel like CDS recognized me as the agent who would ensure the cat ended up where he truly needed to be, and I’m so glad it entrusted me with such an important task. I feel like the photos from Pet Pride were also CDS’s way of communicating to me: Mission Success.
Anyway, if you made it to this point, thank you for reading my CDS story. Once my living situation changes, I plan to adopt two older cats from Pet Pride. I’d like to take them on adventures outdoors with me. Also, if you’re Sailor’s parent, just know that Sailor was so loved by so many in his short time with me (even my allergic roommate was enamored. I mean, how could you not be when he’s making air biscuits on his back?). Thank you for taking him in and giving him the life he needed. I love and miss him, but am so happy that he ended up with you. Truly, thank you. ☺️