5 days ago
Rare Female Orange Kitten Survives Perilous Freeway Crossing and Finds Her Forever Family
Rare Female Orange Kitten Survives Perilous Freeway Crossing and Finds Her Forever Family originally appeared on PetHelpful.
Although most people, in theory, would never hesitate to drop everything to help an animal in need, few people actually get the chance to put their money where their mouth is. Rescuing an animal can often require eagle-eyed attention to detail and a split-second decision—especially while driving—which is why it's not always easy or possible to step up.
This is precisely what new cat mom Cindy and her boyfriend experienced on July 14 when they spotted a tiny kitten running across a busy freeway. Without hesitating, they pulled over to the shoulder of the road, and her boyfriend got out of the car to find and grab the runaway kitten.
Talk about a sigh of relief! Not only was I holding my breath for the lost kitten and their dangerous dodging act, but I was also incredibly nervous for Cindy and her boyfriend. Getting out of the car on the freeway is so scary, but thankfully, everyone returned to the car unscathed.
"OMG, it breaks my heart when kitties get on the highway," one viewer commented. "They get rescued, but OMG, it's just so dangerous." You can say that again! At one point or another, most drivers have had to slam on the brakes to avoid an animal that dashed into the road, so it's easy to see just how treacherous the streets can be for animals.
All risks aside, how sweet is it that Cindy practically manifested a kitten for herself? Just before rescuing this baby, she'd been talking about how she wanted a pet cat to keep her company in her apartment. And now, she has one!
Female Orange Cats
Not only was this orange kitty rare because she crossed the freeway unharmed, but she is also rare because she is a female orange cat! The vast majority of orange cats are male, though few cat parents know why.
Because the gene that gives cats an orange fur color is a recessive gene that comes from the X chromosome, two copies of the gene are necessary for orange to be the main fur color. Males have XX chromosomes, which makes this result much more likely. Genetic mutations can occur that result in an orange coat on a female cat's XY chromosomes, but this is quite rare.
Clearly, Cindy hit the jackpot with her rescued kitten, whom she named Nala, and Nala hit the jackpot with her, too!
