People aren’t the only ones being endangered by Hurricane Ian, which has battered Florida this week as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S. Feral, stray and runaway pets have also been threatened by torrential rainfall and winds that have reached 150 miles per hour. One such cat was fortunate that a kind man was in the right place at the right time.
Mike Ross, 29, lives in southwest Florida’s Bonita Springs. He evacuated to his parents’ home nearby, saying his own home was 10 feet underwater. While peering out a window, Ross noticed a frightened orange and white tabby perched on an air conditioning unit and rushed outside. His mom, Marybeth Ross, followed with a camera to record the rescue, and his girlfriend, Megan Cruz Scavo, shared the video on Twitter.
“My boyfriend saving a cat from flood waters near Bonita Beach,” Scavo wrote.
My boyfriend saving a cat from flood waters near Bonita Beach. #HurricaneIan #Naples #Bonita #FortMyers pic.twitter.com/BlBC9P1rdy
— Megan Cruz Scavo (@MeganScavo) September 28, 2022
“Look at the poor kitty,” Marybeth Ross says in the video, as loud winds gust and the floodwaters surge. “Poor kitty! It’s taking shelter on top of the air conditioner.”
Mike Ross, a consultant at a software company, has since said he worries about the other animals who weren’t as fortunate as the cat he saved, but he is relieved that he could help at least one stranded animal.
Unfortunately, Ross and Scavo’s home was not as lucky as the kitty. The downstairs portion of the house was destroyed. Scavo shared photos of the destruction, mentioning that they have started a GoFundMe to help restore their home and potentially those of others. They also plan to donate half of the proceeds to Humane Society Naples.
We are starting a gofundme to help restore our home and others’ homes that were damaged by #HurricaneIan. We are donating half of the proceeds to the Humane Society Naples in honor of our miracle cat, Ian.
Thank you for all of the love and support: https://t.co/TVRwbhuNaW pic.twitter.com/3YGzv4108k
— Megan Cruz Scavo (@MeganScavo) September 29, 2022
As for the cat, he has found a new home with his rescuers.
“We are keeping him and naming him Ian,” Scavo tweeted.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
