About a month ago, Laila D’Souza, an animal rescuer and founder of the Winston Memorial Foundation, had a heartwarming encounter on her way home from work. She noticed a little ball of fur by the curb, and despite the bustling traffic, she decided to investigate.
Approaching the tiny creature, Laila discovered a four-week-old kitten, scared and alone. Without hesitation, she scooped up the little one, named Scarlet, and took her back to her car. There was no sign of a cat mother or other siblings around.
“Luckily, my friend stepped up to foster her. The kitten was petrified, shivering, and refused to eat,” shared Laila.
In her new foster home, Scarlet was given a quiet space to decompress. However, for the first couple of days, she hid in a corner, startled by the slightest sound.
“She was absolutely terrified when she first came to me,” said Scarlet’s Foster Mom. “She just tried to hide anywhere and everywhere to avoid us.”
With abundant food and abundant patience, Scarlet began to warm up to the idea of coexisting with people indoors. Each passing day saw her feeling more at ease around her foster family.
“It took a couple more days for her to be 100% comfortable. She finally started to run up to us and rub her head on us.”
Once Scarlet realized she was safe, she emerged from hiding and started to play. Her lively personality blossomed, and she became unstoppable.
Scarlet would chase the resident dog, Bella, and her foster mom around the house. After playtime, she’d purr up a storm and fall asleep in their arms.
Since then, Scarlet has been running around the house with unbridled energy, making it clear she owns the place.
“She is really funny, super energetic, and playful. She loves playing with feathers and cuddles when it’s dark. All the energy gets drained during the day, so when night comes, she’s ready for a lot of love,” said Foster Mom.
Scarlet loves sitting on shoulders and being close to faces, following her people around the house like their little shadow.
She has grown in size and strength, but one thing remains constant—her enjoyment of supervising her people and being her foster mom’s little shadow wherever she goes.
Always ready to play, especially with feather toys, Scarlet’s future holds a constant buddy as she will be paired up with another foster kitten for tumbling and snuggling.
No one knows how Scarlet ended up on the street alone, but now she’ll never have to worry about food and shelter. Her life will be filled with joy and plenty of cuddles.
