In the middle of the night, around 1 a.m., Siena was suddenly pulled out of sleep by odd cries coming from outside her apartment in Costa Mesa, California.
They were unsettling enough to make her curious, and concerned enough that she got up to see what was going on.
The second she opened her door, everything went quiet.
That made her think the sound might be coming from a scared kitten hiding nearby. So she tried something simple: she let out a soft little meow of her own.
The reaction was instant. The cries started up again, and just like that, her guess felt right.
She looked around carefully, trying to find where the sound was coming from. Then she spotted it, a tiny kitten sitting on top of an electrical box.
For a moment, she could hardly process what she was seeing.
A Small Kitten In Trouble
The kitten looked terrified and completely unsure of what to do.
The moment Siena saw her, she hurried over to help.
“It was raining out, and I was like, ‘OK, I can’t leave her out here,’” Siena told The Dodo.
The California woman gently stroked the kitten to reassure her, then scooped her up and wrapped her inside her shirt before bringing her inside her apartment.
She cleaned the crust from the kitten’s eyes and offered her some food.
The little cat accepted Siena’s help right away. She felt safe in her arms and quickly drifted off to sleep, exhausted from fending for herself.
Later, Siena spoke with employees at a nearby restaurant. They told her they had seen the kitten wandering around the area and crossing the street in the days before.
Although they tried to rescue her, the kitten had always slipped away.
Hearing that the kitten had been alone for that long broke Siena’s heart.
A New Start For A Lonely Kitten
Although Siena wished she could keep the kitten, she knew she could not give her the full attention she needed. Her work as a tattoo artist kept her busy, and she wanted the kitten to have the care she deserved.
She began searching for someone who could foster her, and it did not take long to find the right person.
A friend of Siena’s offered to take the kitten in, and she settled comfortably into her new foster home.
Her foster family showered her with affection, and she became fast friends with their cat and dog.
Before long, the family realized that she had already found her place with them, so they decided to adopt her. They named her Ashtray.
“She just looks very at home and happy with the other animals,” Siena said.
The kitten’s early days were difficult, but thanks to Siena’s compassion, she is now living the safe and happy life every pet deserves. Siena’s willingness to stop and help changed everything for Ashtray.