“When our paths crossed, we were both having a pretty darn good day.”
While browsing Facebook, Tyson Hood stumbled upon a post detailing the plight of a tiny kitten who had fallen into a storm drain. After being trapped for four days, the kitten was unable to escape, and Hood, the lieutenant of community risk reduction at his local fire department and an animal lover, was moved to action. Hood quickly reached out to the person who made the post, offering his assistance in any way he could.
“Upon receiving a private message from a woman concerned about an animal in distress, Hood, an employee of the local fire department, responded promptly by offering his services. The following day, they worked together to provide the necessary aid for the animal.”
Hood sought his girlfriend’s advice since he wasn’t familiar with cats. She warned him that the kitten would be afraid, making the rescue more challenging. The frightened kitten was rescued after an hour and a half.
Following his meeting with Stephanie, the Good Samaritan who discovered the kitten in distress, Hood was led to the storm drain. Stephanie informed him that she had been regularly providing food for the kitten. Together, they removed the grate and presented a can of tuna, placing it strategically across from the tunnel entrance, luring the kitten out for nourishment.
The subject realized it was a trap and refused to leave the tunnel if he could see me, but trusted Stephanie. When Stephanie saw he had fully exited the tunnel to eat, she gave me a signal. I covered the tunnel with a net before he could turn around and run back in. He ran into the net and I lifted him out.
Through initial panic and eventual relief, the kitten found himself in the loving care of his rescuer, whom he couldn’t help but adore.
Hood recounted that once the cat left the sewer and reached a safe place, it immediately showed its affectionate nature by giving nonstop cuddles. The feline then took to Hood’s shoulders and repeatedly nuzzle-purred with great intensity, showing an unprecedented level of affection.
Though flattering, he smelled horrendous. When the narrator called his girlfriend Cheryl for advice, she told him, ‘This is how you get a cat — you make sure you take that cat home.’ After the smelly cat showed affection, the narrator fell for him.”
Stephanie planned to adopt the kitten, but Hood ended up becoming the little guy’s dad when the arrangement fell through.
After finding the kitten on Walnut Street, Hood decided to name him Walnut. The kitten has since settled into his new home, and his new dad couldn’t be happier with the way things have turned out.
Hood thinks his cat associates cuddling on his shoulders with happy times, which is why the cat only wants to be there when Hood is sitting still. The cat shows his love through purring and headbutting and sleeps on Hood’s neck.
Whenever his food dish is full, he leads me over to it and wants me to stand guard. This may be my lifelong penance for snagging him with a giant pool net while he was eating in his sewer home. But despite that, I feel like we understand each other, and it was a good day when our paths crossed.
After rescuing Hood, Walnut felt an immediate bond with him and knew that they were destined to be best friends forever. Their connection has only grown stronger over time and they now share an unbreakable bond.
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