It was a very cold morning in Yonkers, New York, in the month of December when a lady made the decision to take her dog for a jaunt around the neighborhood. She hadn’t intended to spend much time outdoors, but her intuition prompted her to investigate a mystery cardboard box that had been placed on her street.
Something moved within the box as the owner’s dog approached it to get a better whiff of what was inside.
“Wait a minute, what’s inside that box?” was her response to my question. The director of Little Wanderers NYC, Lisa Winters, shared her thoughts with The Dodo.
When the package was opened, the good Samaritan was taken aback to see a gorgeous orange cat smiling back at her.
Winters said that the man seemed to be in great fear.
The lady sprung into action and, without missing a beat, grabbed the cat and hurriedly transported him to the animal hospital that was located nearby. She had no idea how long he had been out there, but she was relieved that he was finally receiving the medical attention he needed.
The veterinary staff at the hospital were taken aback by how fast the cat became comfortable around them once he arrived there.
Winters said that the person immediately began to snuggle up to them. “He was a sociable cat who was a little terrified, but more than anything else, he was delighted to be out of the cold.”
They put the cat through a battery of tests to confirm that he was in fact as robust as he seemed, and they were relieved when the results showed that everything was in the clear.
X-rays showed that the cat had had a leg injury in the past, and the damage had not healed completely. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done to treat it, and the cat was in excellent condition elsewhere.
Therefore, the medical staff reached out to Little Wanderers NYC to inquire as to whether or not they might assist in locating a warm and welcoming environment for him.
Little Wanderers did not hesitate to take the cat into their care and gave him the name Elf while they looked for a home that would love him forever.
Because Elf showed the same level of care for his buddies at Little Wanderers as he did with his vet team, Winters came to the conclusion that Elf had previously been part of a family unit. She will never know the details of the situation that led to Elf’s family abandoning him in the box, and because of this, she does not believe it is appropriate for her to pass judgment.
According to Winters, “vet treatment is prohibitively expensive and difficult to get for a significant number of individuals.” “In certain situations, people have no other option.”
The fact that Elf is now secure is the single most crucial development for Winters. In addition to facilitating the adoption of cats like Elf into loving families, the mission of Little Wanderers is to continue educating the general public on the need of providing appropriate care for pets and expanding access to veterinary services.
Elf was only in the care of Little Wanderers for a short period of time before he found the family that would be his everlasting home. Miri and Eliezer, who would soon become his adoptive parents, fell in love at first sight.
Winters said that the new owners are “a beautiful couple who are delighted to treat him.”
Sunkist was the original name of Elf, but his family changed it to reflect the vibrant orange color of his fur. Now that he’s older, Sunkist enjoys spending his time with his family and playing with the toys that are his favorites. The memories of being left in a cardboard box on a busy intersection to fend for himself are finally in the past for him.
Winters stated, “He’ll never sleep in an Amazon box again, save for joy after opening parcels full of toys and food.” “He’ll never sleep in an Amazon box again,”
