Life is tough on orphaned kittens, who face myriad risks without their mother’s protection. This became clear when an orphaned kitten wandered onto a busy street in Houston. As the tiny kitten’s black fur camouflaged into the night, it seemed all but certain the defenseless newborn would be killed by traffic.

“Being so small and dark in color, it’s a miracle that this tiny kitten was not hit by a car,” rescuers told Greater Good Charities. “But on that fateful night, a driver saw him and swerved just in time to spare his life.”

 Photo: Houston PetSet

After watching this heart-stopping scene unfold, another driver jumped out of her car to rescue the kitten, who was sitting stunned and motionless in the street. “She scooped up the little life and became determined to keep it safe,” shelter workers said.

But while the kitten was momentarily safe, the youngster (who was later named Fritz) remained in great danger. Newborn kittens need milk every couple of hours, but the mama cat was nowhere to be found. Nor could the woman just buy kitten formula, because the pet stores were closed.

“She looked around the area for a momma cat or other kittens, but seeing none, she knew this would now fall to her,” shelter workers said of Fritz’s rescuer. “But where does someone find kitten formula at ten o’clock at night?”

 Photo: The Animal Rescue Site Store

Thankfully, the woman managed to contact Houston PetSet, a non-profit rescue committed to helping Houston’s booming population of homeless animals. Despite the late hour, the shelter had nursing bottles and kitten formula from Greater Good Charities, which teamed up with the Animal Rescue Site to provide critical supplies that help orphaned newborn kittens survive in the shelter.

This life-saving donation–made possible through your daily clicks, donations, and shopping at The Animal Rescue Site Store—allowed little Fritz to begin bottle feeding, thus saving the kitten’s life for the second time that night.

“We’ve received feedback that this year more than any other, more emergencies are happening late at night after traditional pet stores have closed,” Houston PetSet told Greater Good Charities. “Having these supplies on hand has been invaluable in giving [shelter volunteers] flexibility to respond to urgent requests which they may otherwise have needed to decline.