“Everyone deserves to feel safe” ❤️
As Floridians braced themselves for Hurricane Milton, they took precautions to ensure their safety, either by evacuating or sheltering in place. Unfortunately, the area’s stray cats didn’t have the same options.
Concerned for the well-being of these vulnerable animals left outside in the face of a devastating hurricane, many locals sprang into action with a heartwarming response: they opened their homes to the strays.
Xilenia Mena, a Miami resident living in a neighborhood with a large stray cat population, transformed her front porch into a makeshift sanctuary, shielded by storm shutters. “It breaks my heart to think of them being so frightened,” she shared on TikTok.
Mena created a cozy refuge, setting up a cat tree, soft beds, ample blankets, and food. To entice the strays, she sprinkled catnip around the area. It wasn’t long before the cats settled in, curling up on her porch, safe from the storm’s fury.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe,” Mena emphasized. Meanwhile, in Tampa, resident Casey Corley took in a stray cat she named Tangerine, who quickly made himself at home. Taking full advantage of his indoor retreat, Tangerine enjoyed long naps and playfully kneaded Corley’s furniture.
With multiple dogs at home, Tangerine soon made new friends, and the furry group snuggled together, blissfully unaware of the raging storm outside. Another Tampa local, Bobbie Yvonne, rescued four cats, stocking up on litter and cat food to ensure they were well cared for.
“I can’t take any risks, and I feel terrible for the cats I can’t catch,” Yvonne mentioned in a TikTok video. Kelly Garrison, who welcomed two neighborhood cats into her home, was surprised by their willingness to come inside despite their usual preference for the outdoors.
“They never want to be indoors, so they must sense something is off,” Garrison noted on TikTok. Before long, the cats were snuggling against her.
“We’re going to get through this storm together, OK?” she reassured them.
Hurricane Milton has since passed over Florida, and thanks to the kindness of those who took in stray cats, many lives were spared. It’s possible that some of the people who opened their homes will find it hard to say goodbye, and those kitties who experienced indoor life might just find their forever homes.