Hurricane Milton Destroys Business, But Tiny Kitten Saved From Rubble Helps Heal Their Hearts

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As the world is likely aware, 2 devastating hurricanes ravaged the South, particularly Florida. Hurricane Helene ran rampant on September 26th, 2024 across Florida and all the way up to North Carolina, where people are still recovering weeks afterwards. So when Hurricane Milton took aim at the Tampa area in Florida, a location that has NOT had a direct hit by a hurricane since 1921, every living creature could feel it in the air. Including us here at the CaM Fam, who live in the exact location where the storm had us in an Extreme Wind Warning for hours. That’s the equivalent of an F1 tornado.

As usual with news reporters, they can be spotted all over the state after the storm, reporting on hopefully positive news. One local Bally sports reporter, Ryan Bass, was feeling the pain in his heart as he witnessed the aftermath of Milton’s rage. Almost the entire roof had been ripped off the Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium.

Travelling through neighborhoods in Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Ryan documented the piles of rubble and destroyed belongings of the families dealing with loss.

Businesses that have been around for decades and never experienced flooding were shocked to see water streaming into their locations. The destruction is heartbreaking.

But for one tiny soul, her life was completely altered after the storm.

Ryan was filming piles of debris from a local company just a few blocks from Tampa Bay. And that’s when he got another unexpected shock.

Because a tiny tortie kitten appeared in the rubble!

“We found this kitty in the rubble here in Tampa’s Palmetto Beach neighborhood. He’s purring non-stop. We named him Milton, fittingly. Somebody please adopt this sweet boy.”

Thankfully he was able to grab the friendly stray cat before it bolted off into the chaos. Being a sports reporter, Bass may not be familiar with felines as much, as tortoiseshell kittens are normally female. And it was such in this case too, later discovering the kitten was female.

Then another miracle occurred!

Little “Milly” as I’m going to call her, was taken in by the family of the very business who was destroyed in the storm. The owners of Pilgrim Permocoat Inc. have been in business in this location for decades. Perhaps the kitten had been in the area previously knowing they were animal lovers? Because with the warm weather year round, the infuriating “kitten season” is continuous. Which means that this little cutie was not likely abandoned during the prep for the storm when many people evacuated. And she likely was one of the thousands of strays cats that call the area home.

“An update on the kitty who I nicknamed #Milton, after finding it in the rubble here in Tampa. The family who owns this business behind me that was decimated by the storm is keeping Milton safe inside and just fed her. She’s super sweet. They’re keeping her safe!”

The family took the sweet girl in to care for her and wouldn’t you know it? She easily won them over. Ryan was thrilled to share the news about his new BFF on his social media profile.

“A final, heartwarming update on Milton, the kitty cat we found in the hurricane debris outside this Tampa business: The owners of Pilgrim Permocoat Inc, who’ve been in business there since 1956, have decided the keep her! “We are already attached to Milton & think we are going to keep her. She’s just so darn sweet!”