Shopper finds mama cat and litter of kitten with a tragic note left in a cart: ‘Please keep them together at least’
A regular shopping trip turned emotional for one PetSmart customer who stumbled upon an unexpected scene in the store’s parking lot. What started as a routine visit quickly took a heartbreaking turn when a litter of kittens and a handwritten note were discovered in an abandoned shopping cart. As reported by Newsweek, the story was shared by Reddit user u/BleachM0mmy, who posted about the incident on the site.
According to the post, the user and their partner were leaving the store when they noticed a blue shopping cart pushed far into the lot. Inside the cart were several tiny kittens, left behind with a note attached. “Name is Nibbler, part Siamese, eats a lot of food. Best off in a home with a dog that can be patient [sic] with her,” the note read. “Did not work out so well [sic] with another cat as she is too pushy over food, and it caused issues. Kittens are about 3 1/2–4 weeks old. Sorry to drop them off like this, but I cannot keep these cats. Please keep them together at least.”
Photos posted alongside the story show the young black-and-white kittens curled up together. The user said they contacted PetSmart staff, who agreed to keep the kittens overnight before transferring them to a local shelter. “We connected with the PetSmart and they're keeping them overnight, they will be taken to a shelter tomorrow,” the caption of the post read. There was more good news—though the mother cat had initially run off, she was later found hiding under a nearby car. “My partner found her under a car, he grabbed her. Mom is safe with babies,” they updated later. The story sparked sympathy and support online, with many praising the quick actions taken to ensure the cats were safe and together.
Many Reddit users left heartwarming messages in the comment section for the couple and also expressed their concerns for the family of kittens. u/Klotzster shared, "This is better than the drop off at the edge of town or worse. They were found by a great person who did the right thing." u/ArtisticDragonKing wrote, "It's definitely tough, but you can't deny the owner did care for their well-being. Leaving a note, including that they should stay together for at least 8 weeks, they really want what's best for these cats. It's a shame that they left them out like this, but I suppose the owner thought they would have better chances than at a rescue, which they may not accept so many cats at once, and if they do, they might get euthanized."
Unfortunately, the abandonment of cats actually happens quite often. According to a statistical report by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in 2024, about 5.8 million dogs and cats entered animal shelters and rescues. This number was only slightly lower than the year before. The total was split almost evenly between dogs and cats, and both groups contributed to the small drop in shelter intake compared to the previous year.