What began as a trip to the store for cat litter turned into a rescue mission for Norman Benford, 52, from Altoona, Pennsylvania.
When heading to Walmart, Benford heard from his partner that there was a kitten trapped underneath a gazebo at the store, and he knew what to do.
“I was heading out to Walmart for cat litter to donate to our local shelter,” Benford told Newsweek. “My partner mentioned that somebody had posted in a local pet rescue group earlier in the morning about a possibly feral kitten in distress.”
Equipped with a carrier, gloves, and a broom, Benford arrived to find several Walmart employees attempting to lure the tiny kitten out. She was buried among garbage and unreachable under the structure when Benford used the broom to clear debris.
The cat then bolted toward a row of shopping carts and disappeared into the undercarriage of a truck.
The driver was quick to assist, kicking the floor from inside the truck and opening the hood to expose the kitten’s hiding spot. Fifteen minutes later, he had managed to get hold of the kitten.
“I forcefully scruffed her and pulled her out from the truck and plopped her into the carrier. I was not going to let her escape again to die of heat exposure or get crushed by a car in the parking lot,” Benford said.
The kitten was in a sad condition: overheated, wounded, filthy, and covered in fleas and feces. Benford sprung into action and brought her to Tiny Paws NICU—a local rescue specializing in neonatal kittens.
“I had never encountered a kitten this small and in this condition in the wild, and I needed guidance,” he said, crediting Adele and Janelle from Tiny Paws for their support.
In 2024, approximately 7 million animals entered U.S. shelters and rescues, according to Shelter Animals Count—an increase of nearly 3 percent from 2023. Of animals that entered shelters, 60 percent were stray.
Five baths and lots of attention later, the kitten has begun to show signs of comfort and trust. “She is sweet and will sit in my lap on the back porch and relax for extended periods of time,” Benford said. “She has a tiny little meow but the biggest purr when she is content and happy.”
Benford shared the story of the kitten rescue on Reddit where the post has over 30,000 views. Here he shared: “So, this little girl was literally baking underneath the employee gazebo at my local Walmart.”
In the comments, people shared their reactions. “Thank you for saving her,” said one Redditor. While another wrote: “You’re rad humans! May the universe bring you joy for your kindness.”
Now approximately eight weeks old, the currently unnamed kitten continues to recover in quarantine with Benford, away from his seven other cats. The hope is to adopt her permanently.
“We intend to do everything to make it work. We’re very much in love with this adorable little life that the universe put in our care,” he said.
Benford thanked Tiny Paws NICU for their help with the kitten: “They are a self-funded, registered 501(C)3 non-profit doing financially and emotionally draining work… I have the utmost respect for them and the work they do.”
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