California Woman Hears ‘Screaming’ Outside Her Apartment At 1 AM And Drops Everything To Help
Siena had just gotten comfy in her Costa Mesa apartment when she suddenly heard the tiniest, sharp little cries. It was 1 a.m., and the sound broke the silence like an alarm.
At first, she thought maybe it was just street noise, but her gut told her different. It sounded desperate, like a kitten calling out.
She stepped outside and listened closely. The cries had stopped.
Siena wasn’t about to give up, though. She crouched down and made a little meowing sound, just to test her hunch.
Sure enough, an answer came right back, high-pitched and panicked. She followed the sound until she saw a tiny kitten, perched nervously on top of an electrical box like it was the last safe spot in the world.
The poor baby looked so small, so lost. And to make things worse, it was raining.
Siena’s heart sank. There was no way she could just walk back inside and pretend she hadn’t seen her, as she shared in an interview:
“It was raining out, and I was like, ‘OK, I can’t leave her out here.”
She scooped the kitten up, tucked her into her shirt, and carried her home.
Inside, she carefully cleaned the crust from around the kitten’s eyes and set out some food she had on hand from feeding strays in the neighborhood.
The kitten didn’t resist. She was exhausted, shivering, and clearly relieved that someone had finally noticed her cries, as Siena shared:
“[S]he really didn’t fight me. I think she was tired. I don’t know how long she was there.”
After eating a little, she curled up and drifted into the deepest sleep, safe and warm for the first time in who knows how long.
The next morning, Siena did a little digging. She spoke with restaurant workers nearby, who said they had spotted the kitten wandering across the street a few days earlier.
They had tried to catch her but hadn’t been able to. The thought of this tiny soul braving busy roads and cold nights on her own broke Siena’s heart.
As much as she adored the kitten already, Siena knew she couldn’t keep her. Her work as a tattoo artist kept her away from home too often.
She wanted the little one to end up with a family that could give her endless time and love. Luckily, the perfect answer came quickly.
A close friend of Siena’s, a devoted cat lover, offered to foster the kitten. But what started as fostering didn’t take long to turn into forever.
The baby fit right in with her new family. She cuddled up to both the household cat and even the dog like she had always belonged.
Her new family decided to name her Ashtray, and the name stuck. She blossomed fast: a playful, sweet, and completely at home.
For Siena, saying goodbye was bittersweet. She had been the one to hear those cries in the night, the one to bring her in from the rain and give her safety.
But knowing Ashtray now has a family who adores her made all the difference. She’s got a warm couch to curl up on, people who spoil her, and even furry siblings to keep her company.
What once was a lonely little life on top of an electrical box has turned into a home overflowing with love.
Ashtray’s cries have finally melted into soft, happy purrs, the kind that say she knows she’s right where she belongs.
