Soaking-wet kitten found under bush during torrential rain

FAIRFIELD, N.J. (FOX 5 NY) - A terrified kitten that was meowing and squeaking for help was found hiding under a bush in the parking lot of a mall in New Jersey during a fierce thunderstorm Thursday night.

The passerby who found the soaking wet feline at the Willowbrook Mall contacted the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge just after 10 p.m.

"Within minutes, we had found a vet tech who rushed over and picked up this desperate kitten, opening her office and bringing him to the hospital immediately," Ramapo-Bergen said in a statement. "His purrs and cries of thanks could melt your heart."

The emaciated kitten is being treated and evaluated. Soon, he will be placed in a foster home and be listed for adoption.

"His is a story of hope and survival against the odds. This is what we do at RBARI. This is who we are," Ramapo-Bergen said. "We will continue on with our work, even on the rainy, dark nights when the cages are overflowing because we know that this tiny little soul was trapped in an overflowing parking lot, desperately holding on until we found him."