AbbeyLaneCats.org is PROUD FRIENDS with NeighborhoodCats.org
We often support cats featured by NEIGHBORHOODCATS.org
Last week, when Mario was barely two months old, someone tossed the little black and white kitten into a large garbage bag, tied it shut, put the bag on the ground, and walked away. Left on baking asphalt in the full glare of the sun, the dark, heavy plastic heated quickly. Though Mario struggled he couldn’t claw his way out. In the stifling blackness, he likely only had minutes to live.Then fate stepped in, in the shape of a young man named Enzo.
Enzo works on Staten Island, removing debris from construction sites. He’d just arrived at a job when he spotted the black contractor bag. It seemed like a plain, ordinary bag... until something moved, pushing the dusty plastic from underneath. Cautiously, Enzo opened it. Shock jolted him when he found Mario and, further in the tangled depths of the bag, a second kitten. Both were panting hard, eyes terrified, their small faces soaked with drool. Mario’s left eye was swollen shut.
Enzo happened to know a local rescuer so he called her - and she called Neighborhood Cats. After an emergency trip to the vet, we had good news and bad news. The good: swift hydration and treatment for hyperthermia saved the kittens’ lives. The bad: Mario is in imminent danger of losing his swollen eye.
We’ve consulted a specialist who’s confirmed Mario has an extreme case of entropion, a condition that causes eyelids to roll inwards. Needle-like lashes endlessly poke and inflame his sensitive cornea. To reduce pain and temporarily slow down the disease, the specialist fitted Mario with a tiny, protective contact lens. But the only permanent cure is surgery. Without it, sometime soon the eye will rupture and be lost forever.
Despite his rocky start, Mario is two pounds of purring, biscuit-making rainbows and sunshine. He loves chasing colorful kitty coils and swatting super balls. Chin rubs turn him to mush. When he’s sleepy he and his brother, Luigi, nap in a furry heap of black, white and striped brown fluff. With your support, Mario will be able to purr and pounce through the years ahead with two good eyes, drinking in every wonder.
Please give what you can today towards Mario’s urgent care. Our sweet boy is counting on us.
Susan Richmond,
Executive Director Neighborhood Cats
NeighborhoodCats has perfectly expressed why thousands of people have become cat colony caregivers...
"Why work with ferals? It’s a question we’re often asked.When there’s so much wrong in the world today, why choose to work with animals you may never be able to touch? Who must be trapped to get them fixed and handled carefully so you don’t get hurt? Who are misunderstood by many and resented simply for being there?
Because their lives have value. Because they feel want, pain and, yes, love like everyone. Because they’re innocent and need us. And because you want us to help them, something you make clear every time you donate.
Please consider a generous gift to our Holiday Rescue Fund and make it possible for us to save more of these precious lives in 2026."
Cat Caregivers: Unsung Heroes Appreciated Worldwide
- Turkey (especially Istanbul): Rooted in cultural and religious traditions that revere cats, feeding and caring for strays is seen as a virtuous deed; communities, shopkeepers, and even municipalities support caregivers, viewing them as guardians of a beloved urban tradition.
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Japan: Government-backed community cat programs honor volunteers who practice Trap-Neuter-Return and daily care; these caregivers are respected as responsible stewards contributing to humane population control and animal welfare.
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Italy (e.g., Rome): Stray cat colonies at historic sites are legally protected, and those who feed and monitor them are valued for preserving a cherished part of the city's cultural fabric.
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Greece and Cyprus: On islands and in towns abundant with strays, feeding cats is a common, heartfelt act of kindness that's socially embraced as part of everyday life and tourism charm.
