Heroic Woman Saves Newborn Kitten from Busy Highway

Quick Smiles:

• Woman bravely halts traffic to rescue a newborn kitten.
• The kitten, named Willie, is now safe and thriving.
• Rescuer reflects on the serendipitous encounter.

@littlelionbecca

His name is Willie (pending) bc he’s a highwayman 🫶 I dont know why he was on the interstate, but im so thankful he didnt get squished 😭 #catdistributionsystem #newbornkitten #orangecat ♬ The Kite Live by Luisa Marion – luisa_marion_music

Becca Tremmel, an artist and music teacher from Nashville, Tennessee, experienced an extraordinary moment on her drive home on I65.

She noticed an “orange thing near the white lines in the middle lane” and quickly realized it was a tiny, helpless kitten.

“I saw him moving his little head around and I gasped,” Tremmel recounted.

Growing up in Sundance, Utah, Tremmel was always surrounded by animals.

“My family got tired of me always bringing home orphaned kittens or injured birds, but they humored me,” she shared.

Her love for animals has continued into adulthood, as she now volunteers at a wildlife rehab and a horse rescue.

Without hesitation, Tremmel sprang into action.

“I pulled up, put on my flashers, because there was a semi behind me, then got out and grabbed the kitten,” she explained.

She then signaled to stop the traffic in the next lane, and a passerby asked, “what is that?” to which she replied, “a kitten!!!”

The kitten, likely a newborn, was miraculously uninjured.

“He doesn’t have any road rash so I doubt he was thrown from a window or dropped from a high place,” Tremmel speculated.

She considered the possibility that the kitten’s mother might have placed her kittens inside a car engine for warmth, and this one could have fallen out.

Despite the perilous situation, the kitten was alert and active.

“Nothing appears to be broken and he’s very alert and crawling around,” she noted.

Tremmel’s quick actions undoubtedly saved the kitten’s life, though she humbly downplays her heroism.

“I’d like to think that if I hadn’t stopped then hopefully someone else would have saved him,” she said.

She expressed gratitude that the kitten, now named Willie, is safe and thriving.

“I’m calling him Willie because he’s a highwayman, but we’ll see if it sticks,” she said.

Reports indicate that around 3.2 million cats enter shelters annually in the U.S.

Thanks to Tremmel’s compassion, Willie won’t be part of that statistic.

“He’s very active and alert and he quickly learned how to feed from the bottle,” she said.

While Tremmel hasn’t made a final decision, it seems Willie has found a forever home.

“He’s such a fighter and I’m so blessed to have him,” she said. “I’m definitely leaning toward keeping him but I will have to discuss it with my other two cats.”

Reflecting on the rescue, Tremmel feels it was meant to be.

“It definitely feels like fate finding Willie. I’ve always felt that my guardian angels come in animal form and they always appear in crazy ways like the middle of a freeway! I’m so thankful for him.”

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