What looked like an ordinary insulated delivery bag turned out to be something no one expected.
During a charity walk in Prospect Park, several participants noticed a green Uber Eats bag sitting beneath a park bench. Something about it didn't seem right, so they decided to take a closer look.
When they unzipped the bag, they were stunned.
Curled up inside were two frightened cats that had apparently been abandoned.
“I do believe that whoever dumped these cats wanted someone to find them,” cat rescuer Dana Heis said. “I think it was a situation where they had no choice.”
Not wanting to leave the animals behind, the group carried the bag with them for the entire 5-kilometer charity walk while figuring out what to do next.
Then the story took another surprising turn.
Along the route, another participant reported finding a third cat wandering nearby. Before long, everyone realized the orange feline had likely been abandoned with the other two.
When the cats were reunited at the end of the event, the orange cat immediately climbed back into the delivery bag to cuddle beside the others.
“At the end of the walk, they put them all down and the orange cat jumped back into the bag with the other two,” Heis said.
After being contacted, Heis agreed to take all three cats into her care.
The kittens were understandably nervous after everything they had experienced, but once they arrived at her rescue, they received vaccinations, flea treatment, deworming medication, and plenty of reassurance.
Little by little, they began to relax.
“They had been very friendly and sweet with everyone,” Heis said.
Leaning into the unusual way they had been discovered, Heis gave the trio fitting names: Grubhub, Seamless, and DoorDash.
Within hours, all three had been placed in foster homes where they could finally rest indoors.
“They were just so thankful to be back inside,” Heis said. “They clearly were not outdoor cats.”
While these kittens were fortunate enough to be rescued quickly, Heis hopes their story reminds people that there are safer alternatives for anyone who can no longer care for a pet.
“The better option is to bring them to a city shelter or veterinary hospital rather than leaving them outside and hoping for the best,” she said.
Today, DoorDash has already found a long-term caregiver, while Grubhub and Seamless are still searching for permanent families.
After surviving such an uncertain beginning, their rescuers are confident the two remaining kittens won't have to wait long before finding the loving homes they deserve.
If you're interested in fostering or adopting these cats, you can submit an application here. If you'd like to support Heis' rescue work, you can make a donation here.
