Wilson was finishing an evening shift at Costco Wholesale last week when an out-of-place shopping cart suddenly caught his attention. The only item in the cart was a blue mesh pet carrier, and as Wilson got closer, he realized someone had been left inside.
As a full-time cat dad, Wilson recognized the carrier right away. But he didn’t understand why there was an adult cat inside without a single buyer claiming it.
“Honestly, my first reaction was confusion,” Wilson told The Dodo. “I ask myself: ‘Why is there a cat here? Why is my family life at work? Why am I excited? Wait, what happened?” all at the same time.”
Wilson ran towards the cart to get a better look at the cat. It was then that he noticed writing on one of the side panels that made the situation even more heartbreaking.
“I checked the carrier bag and noticed it had ‘Misty 14 (years old)’ written in Sharpie on the back,” Wilson said.
Misty, a black and orange calico, looked confused when Wilson looked inside the carrier. Someone had apparently placed it in the shopping cart, then brought it into the store’s garage before walking away. And while the other employees moved around the store looking for answers, Wilson could only think about Misty’s needs at that moment.
“I have three black cats at home,” Wilson said. “Everyone was wondering what to do, people were going to find managers, etc. So for a while the cat was just with me, and I was like, ‘Why don’t I make her a tiny house while she’s here?'”
You can watch the moment here:
Wilson quickly grabbed two pieces of foam board to cover the cart, then set up a makeshift bathroom with litter he bought for his cats at home and a black trash bag. Then he opened a can of wet food and unzipped the bag so Misty could explore.
Misty, who had been left wearing a little blue sweater and a harness, was at first too scared to get out of her carrier. But Wilson refused to leave her there, scared and alone. He stayed by her side while her colleagues contacted their local animal shelter.
Soon after, the people at New York City Animal Care Centers (NYCACC) agreed to take Misty in and care for her while Wilson and his colleagues came up with a plan. Unfortunately, Wilson was unable to adopt Misty himself, as he had three cats at home. But some of her colleagues expressed interest in keeping her once the shelter gave her the green light.
“Some of our coworkers might offer to adopt Misty, and some of us are considering stopping by the shelter to see her anyway,” Wilson wrote in an Instagram comment.
For now, Misty is still resting and recovering from the whole NYCACC ordeal. It was a worrying event for everyone involved, but luckily the sweet girl is doing well and should be ready for adoption in a few days.
And even though Wilson didn’t expect to encounter an abandoned carrier at work, he’s glad he was there to take care of Misty that night and show her she wasn’t alone.
“Seeing Misty reminded me of home and my cats, Zorra, Reynard and Power, and I just wanted to help,” Wilson said.
Gn tech
