“[He] couldn’t believe someone would actually put cats in a bag … “
Three Kittens Were Abandoned in a Paper Bag — Until a Stranger Gave Them a Second Chance
This past January, on a chilly stretch of highway in New York, a man spotted something strange on the roadside: a crumpled brown paper bag with the word “cats” scrawled across it. Curious and concerned, he pulled over — not expecting what he’d find inside.
To his shock, three tiny kitten faces peered up at him.
He had no idea how long they’d been there, but there was no time to waste. He rushed the kittens to AMA Animal Rescue, where the team was heartbroken to hear their story.
“They were scared and hissy at first, clearly traumatized,” said Mariya Vlasova, cofounder of AMA. But the staff saw not fear — they saw potential. “If there’s one thing our volunteers love, it’s a challenge.”
With patience and care, the kittens began to heal. They learned they were safe. And once they did, the transformation was immediate: the trio became bold, bouncy, and endlessly playful — a whirlwind of zoomies, pounces, and parkour-style chaos.
“They transformed into a trio of mischievous cats,” Vlasova said. “Each one was a little rascal in their own right.”
Named Twilight, Midnight, and Eclipse, the kittens didn’t take long to win hearts. Midnight and Eclipse were adopted together, while Twilight went home with the relative of an AMA volunteer — all now safe, loved, and never again alone.
For AMA Animal Rescue, the outcome is everything.
“Seeing all three of them go from abandoned to adored has meant the world to us,” Vlasova said. “We’ll forever be thankful to the kind stranger who chose to stop instead of driving past.”
Because sometimes, one small act of compassion can rewrite the entire story.