While waiting on the platform for her train in New York City, a woman named Kristine Malone heard something unusual.
Faint cries echoed up from the tracks beneath her.
Peering into the gravel and rails, Kristine tried to locate where the noise was coming from. At first, she saw nothing—until she spotted a small, fuzzy orange ball nestled between the stones near a wall.
The little creature looked up and cried out, as if asking her for help.
Stepping In To Help
Kristine quickly considered how to assist the tiny animal close to the track and turned to social media, posting about the situation in hopes someone could respond.
Thankfully, John Debacker, the vice president of Long Island Cat/Kitten Solution, Inc., saw the post and took action.
Even though he understood it wouldn’t be a simple rescue, John headed straight to the New York City train station. But when he arrived, he ran into some difficulties.
“It was tricky getting to the kitten because he was down in the tracks. We were trying to figure out how to get to the kitten from street level, but we couldn’t do that without putting ourselves in danger,” John told The Dodo.
John knew he needed assistance, so he approached two Metro-North police officers and shared the situation.
Fortunately, the officers were animal lovers and ready to pitch in.
“They were animal lovers, too. They shut off the power and escorted us onto the tracks,” he said.
Once they got down near the kitten, they saw clearly that it was a small orange cat.
Trying to avoid frightening the animal, John and his team worked carefully but swiftly, placing the kitten into a rescue net and lifting him to safety.
The rescue mission was a success!
The group returned to the platform, proudly carrying the kitten they had just saved.
As someone with years of experience rescuing cats, John could tell there was something special about this one.
“He was very scared, but I’ve gotten many feral kittens, and he’s definitely not like one of those typical feral cats. He was really sweet almost instantly,” he stated.
From Train Tracks To A Loving Home
John named the kitten Metro and brought him to a New York shelter called Last Hope, Inc. so he could stay somewhere safe for the time being.
Just a couple of weeks later, Kristine Malone, the woman who first heard Metro’s cries, went to visit the kitten and decided to adopt him.
Now, Metro is living a safe and happy life with Kristine and her daughter, far away from any danger.
Although everything turned out well, it’s safe to assume he won’t be wandering near train tracks again.
“[Malone] and her daughter, Destiny, sing Metro’s praises and Metro is thoroughly enjoying his new life in his new home … like a feline fairy tale,” Last Hope, Inc. wrote in a Facebook post,