Rescuing a Stray Kitten
The story of taking in an abandoned kitten found by the roadside.
Table of Contents
Overview
Around 5:10 PM, as the community center was quieting down, I was wrapping up the day by organizing notes from welfare check-in calls when a resident came in looking alarmed. They said someone had abandoned a kitten in Sumin Eoul Park right next door and that they had come looking for a box to keep it from freezing to death.
Animal rescue was not part of my duties, but I could not ignore a crying kitten, so I took a box and followed them outside.
First Impression
It was a tiny gray kitten, barely the size of my palm, surrounded by several children who looked about six or seven years old. The kitten looked thoroughly fed up with the attention. The temperature was around 1–2°C, which was a very harsh environment for a young kitten.
When it comes to taking responsibility for another life, I try to avoid decisions driven by momentary pity or other impulses. That is also why I had gone through a great deal of internal conflict whenever I considered bringing home a pet such as a dog. I tended to worry more about whether I could do right by the animal than about the happiness I might get from having a pet.
However, my social service assignment was due to end soon, and I expected to have plenty of time to care for the kitten before returning to university. More importantly, leaving it there on such a cold day felt even more irresponsible, so I decided on the spot to take it in.
Status Check
I brought the kitten to the Sumin-dong Saemaul Library, checked its condition, and offered water and wet food, but it refused both.
A staff member on the administrative team who has cats estimated that the kitten was about 2–3 months old. The kitten's right eye, gait, and breathing looked unusual, so the staff member recommended taking it to a veterinary clinic.
Because I normally commute by bus, I had neither a carrier nor a car and was planning to take a taxi. Thankfully, a staff member from the welfare team recommended a good animal hospital and gave us a ride there.
The examination found no major problem such as a fracture, and the kitten responded well to food, so we decided to monitor it for about a week before returning.
The kitten was estimated to be 2–3 months old, and the veterinarian thought it had previously been accustomed to people.
I also received some nutritional food, and the head veterinarian waived the consultation fee, saying that I was doing a good deed.
Once again, I am very grateful to the head veterinarian at MS Animal Hospital in Yeonsan-dong.
I will definitely return later for vaccinations and neutering.
Update (Jan 15, 2026): Yeoul is doing well, but Yeoul cries so plaintively whenever I try to use the carrier that I still have not managed to make it to the vet. I will definitely go once Yeoul is a little more comfortable with the carrier.
Update (Mar 6, 2026): Yeoul passed away due to HCM.
Conclusion
I now have a family member I am responsible for.
So cute.
