On Thursday, September 14, Alexander Gonzalez ‘28 and a friend stumbled upon a kitten by the construction site behind Bolles Hall. The boys were encouraged to take the kitten out of the construction zone after it was clear he had been abandoned.
Upper school art teacher and Alexander’s mom, Mrs. Gonzalez, took the kitten in for a night. “Its eyes were still closed, and the umbilical cord was still attached.”
The abandoned kitten was only a few days old, leaving him with a slim chance of survival: Gonzalez hurried to get supplies and advice from a pet supermarket near Bolles. After purchasing kitten formula and a bottle, Gonzalez was given instructions by a sales attendant on feeding and grooming the cat.
A lot of care is put into taking care of a kitten. Gonzalez was shown how to simulate a mother washing the kitten with a damp washcloth. “This is an awkward task but without this regular gentle attention, a motherless kitten will not be able to eliminate waste and will perish.”
Gonzalez set up a warm environment for the kitten and provided him with food for the night, but wasn’t able to continue looking after him. “I was relieved that Nate Zerkowski and his family adopted the kitten because the feeding schedule was not something I cherished.”
After a night in Gonzalez’s care, the kitten arrived back at school, where word spread of his presence in the art building. Fortunately, the news reached Nate Zerkowski ‘25, who was quick to offer assistance. “Ms. Rippel came in saying that there was a cat and he needed a home,” explained Zerkowski. “I got permission with my mother and then I took over from there.”
Zerkowski had some prior experience caring for animals at the zoo as an exhibit host, and a growing passion for animals. “I think that passion comes from when I was young. I never really grew out of the fact that I loved animals.”
Knowing that the kitten didn’t have a high chance of survival, and would likely be sent to a kill shelter if he didn’t help, Zerkowski rushed to offer aid and research before bringing it to the vet’s.
A few days after the first cat was found, another was discovered near the site and rushed to veterinary care, where both will remain for a couple weeks. “There’s still around a 70-30 chance of survival, but I believe they’re both going to make it,” said Zerkowski, who has been receiving frequent updates from the vets.
In the meantime, Zerkowski has been searching for a future home for both kittens. “I texted around 50 people asking if they like cats and could keep a cat at home,” explained Zerkowski, but so far, only one kitten has found a home.
“There’s not a guarantee that I’m going to be giving the other cat away, but it’s a pretty high chance,” said Zerkowski, “so if anyone wants to adopt the cat, just email me, but they should know it’s not a guarantee that they’ll get it.”
