“[T]hey really didn’t want any of the cats …”
Last week in New York City, a passerby noticed a piece of cardboard taped to the entrance of a warehouse. The handwritten words — “free cats” — stopped them in their tracks. Concerned, they stepped inside to learn more.
After a brief conversation with the warehouse owner, their suspicions were confirmed.
According to the animal rescue group Greenpoint Cats, the warehouse owners had started out with two cats, but those cats had since had kittens — and now the owners were hoping to give away the two young ones to anyone willing to take them.
The discovery left the Good Samaritan deeply troubled. This situation was a small glimpse into a much larger issue facing the city: the ongoing cycle of unspayed and unneutered warehouse cats breeding unchecked, leading to more strays on the streets.
“The finder talked to the owners about the importance of spaying and neutering the whole family — especially before letting the kittens go, since they were already old enough to have kittens themselves,” Greenpoint Cats shared on Instagram.
After hearing this, the warehouse owners reconsidered their plan. They ultimately decided they no longer wanted to keep any of the four cats.
That’s when Greenpoint Cats stepped in to help. The rescue team quickly transported the cats to a local veterinary clinic, where they received medical care and were all spayed.
It’s now been a week since the rescue, and one of the cats has already found her forever home. The remaining three are still waiting for families of their own, but their rescuers are optimistic that their happy endings are close at hand.
Crepe Suzette, a one-year-old tortoiseshell beauty, loves affection and prefers to be the only cat in the home. Her daughter, Soufflé, is just as loving — and her foster family says she acts “more like a puppy than a cat.”
Then there’s Flapjack, the only black cat of the trio, who’s still learning to trust people again but grows more confident each day. The Greenpoint Cats team believes it won’t be long before “Flappy” comes fully out of her shell.
While the team is thrilled to see these cats’ lives turning around, they know the problem is far from over. Many more warehouse cats across the city are still waiting for help — and Greenpoint Cats remains determined to save as many as possible.
“So far this year, we’ve taken in more than 40 unwanted cats and kittens from local warehouses,” the organization wrote. “It’s a serious issue, and we hope more neighbors, business owners, and city agencies will step up — starting by making spay and neuter services accessible to break this cycle of suffering.”