A woman who found an abandoned kitten near a creek didn’t hesitate to rescue her, and now she makes sure every day is filled with “all the love” the feline deserves.
In August 2024, Sarah Mirsini and her husband from New York took their dogs swimming in nearby fresh water. But when Mirsini saw something moving near the rocks, her heart broke when she realized what it was.
She noticed a small kitten who had likely come out in search of food, but hid behind the rocks at the sight of people. Mirsini, 38, told Newsweek that she “knew in [her] heart” that she couldn’t leave this abandoned kitten, so she set out to capture the sweet feline.
Along with her husband, Mirsini returned to that spot several times throughout the day in the hopes of catching the kitten.
“I noticed her neck was tilting to the right, so I thought she might have broken it,” Mirsini said. “But when we took her to the vet, he said she had an inner ear infection, and she immediately got treated for that.”
@sarahmirsini / TikTok
She continued: “The locals said she had been there for weeks, and according to the vet she was around 11 to 12 weeks old when we found her. So, my gut tells me that her owners dumped her because of her head tilt and didn’t want to deal with expenses.”
At first, the couple tried to catch the kitten with food and treats, but she was too scared to get close.
By the second day, Mirsini and her husband took a cage trap and filled it with cozy blankets and food to entice the kitten. Unfortunately, she kept approaching the cage but then running away.
Finally, by the third morning, they were finally able to get close enough to catch the kitten and bring her home safely. Her forever family have now given her the name Clover, as she’s their “lucky charm.”
Mirsini said: “The vet recommended keeping her in a separate room for a week as we had two dogs. We made the guest room into her safe space with a bed, toys, litter box and blankets. But I didn’t want her to sleep alone, so my husband slept with her. Each night, she nuzzled up to his beard and fell asleep. They must have developed a special bond because she still does this every day.”
Shortly after rescuing Clover, the couple also adopted a black cat named Finn. Mirsini believes that was “the best thing” they ever did for Clover, as the duo have become two peas in a pod.
Clover loves to roam the space around her home, and whenever her owners call her back, she gladly comes running.
“I never had pets growing up, so I never experienced the unconditional love they give. Clover is my first cat, and she has shown me that every living being deserves a second chance and to feel safe. It’s not just our planet, and I feel we humans have a lot to learn from them,” Mirsini told Newsweek.
In May, Mirsini shared a video on TikTok (@sarahmirsini) showing how far Clover has come since she was found in August last year. The clip begins by showing the abandoned kitten playing alone by the creek, which “completely broke [Mirsini’s] heart,” before showing how happy she is now in her loving home.
The TikTok post has delighted internet users, generating more than 434,400 views and over 90,300 likes in just a matter of days. Alongside the video, the caption adds: “I thought I was rescuing her, but really, she was rescuing me.”
@sarahmirsini / TikTok
Mirsini has been amazed by the reaction to Clover’s story, and she hopes to inspire others to help the millions of animals in need of help across the country. Whether that’s by adopting, fostering, volunteering, or donating.
She said: “I got comments from others about finding cats in alleys or in the road, and it makes me so sad that we think of these beings as disposable, when we should be treating them with kindness, dignity and respect.”
Clover’s rescue left many social media users in tears, leading to more than 280 comments on the post so far.
One comment reads: “So happy for Clover, but my heart breaks for all the abandoned strays and ferals that remain homeless.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “first clip broke me.”
While another person added: “I will never recover from the first clip. I’m so glad she’s loved and safe now, thank you.”
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