It was a hot summer day when Jessica J. exited a Manhattan subway station. Suddenly, she heard a faint cry.

“It sounded like it was coming from a nearby garbage can,” recalls Jessica. “Then my eye caught a plastic bag rolling around on the street.” 

She lifted the bag and peeked inside. A newborn orange and white kitten, with his eyes still closed and umbilical cord still attached, continued to mew in the bag. Jessica hailed a cab and headed to the ASPCA, holding the kitten in a box.

At the ASPCA Adoption Center, Jessica relinquished her tiny charge to Stephen Cameron, Coordinator of Admission and Foster Programs, and said she’d be willing to adopt the kitten once he was healthy and ready.

The day-old kitten was then named Ultimo and placed in the ASPCA Kitten Nursery. Ultimo was one of nearly 1,700 kittens who entered the Nursery in 2018 alone. 

A New Life

Jessica and her husband David officially adopted Ultimo, whom they renamed Scotch Bonnet, or Bonney for short.

“He’s super sweet and loves to cuddle,” says Jessica. “And he always greets us at the door.”

Though Bonney's initial introduction to the world was cruel and callous, his life today is filled with caring and compassion.  

“My hope is that none of that early trauma sunk in,” says Jessica. “I want our little Bonney to live a long and happy, healthy life.”

Originally published on KittenToob.