It ended up being a whole neighborhood effort …
A Kitten in Trouble, and a Neighborhood That Came Together
When Maria Yagoda stepped outside one morning, she was met with an unexpected sight: her car was plastered with handwritten notes. Each one carried the same urgent message — a kitten was trapped somewhere inside her vehicle.
Startled but determined, Maria immediately dialed the phone number left on the notes. On the other end was a kind neighbor she had never met before, who explained that several strangers had heard desperate meows echoing from Maria’s car the night before. None of them knew one another, but they had banded together to try to save the kitten.
Soon, the group gathered again — neighbors, a passing construction worker with a jack, and even volunteers from Greenpoint Cats, a local rescue. One rescuer, Becky, used her phone to play recordings of kitten cries. To everyone’s relief, the hidden cat meowed back.
Becky had even brought along a kitten named Lydia, hoping her meows would coax the trapped one out. But Lydia, far more interested in lounging and looking adorable, wasn’t much help. Luckily, another neighbor’s very vocal cat in a carrier managed to do the trick — the hidden kitten finally wriggled free … only to dart straight under a different car.
Undeterred, the group set up humane traps and makeshift barriers, determined not to give up. Hours passed, and just before midnight, their patience paid off. The frightened kitten was safe at last.
They named him Pothole.
Back at the rescue, Pothole was introduced to Lydia — and this time, she knew just what to do. Though she hadn’t helped lure him out, she showered him with comfort and companionship. The two quickly became inseparable.
Soon after, they found their forever home — together. Now Pothole and Lydia are thriving as pampered indoor cats, their wild ordeal behind them. And for Maria, it was proof of the magic that happens when strangers come together for a cause: “It was a whole group of neighbors who had never met before … all working to save one tiny life.”