Published Jan 17, 2026
John Debacker / Facebook.com
A recent headline reminds us about the dangers of cats being outside during harsh winter weather, and warms our heart with a story about a Good Samaritan from New York who will do everything in his power to rescue a feline in need.
During a snowstorm on Long Island in December, a man heard the desperate, high-pitched squeals of a cold baby animal nearby. He discovered a little black and white tuxedo kitten shivering and hiding in the doorway of a Bank of America near the man’s workplace.
The man had no luck catching the kitten, so he called on John DeBacker, a prolific cat rescuer on Long Island. We interviewed John in 2024 after he rushed to Manhattan to rescue a kitten stuck in a U.S. Postal Service truck; then, we mentioned John again in 2025 after he hurried to help save a tiny kitten who somehow got trapped in the undercarriage of a parked car on Long Island and traveled for three miles undetected.
John, a brave and dedicated cat advocate, drove over to the bank in the continuing snowstorm to rescue the poor kitten.
“On my way there, I was sliding all over the road, but I arrived in one piece,” John told The Dodo. “The snow was coming down heavy. … It was heartbreaking how he was all alone and terrified for so long.”
John Debacker / Facebook.com
John approached the bank entrance with a net and towel and saw the frightened kitten crying. The rescuer used the net to secure the kitten, who was a flight risk, then took him to safety and warmth in his car and then inside. John named the kitten Snowflake, who was traumatized but quickly warmed up to him.
“He immediately turned into one of the sweetest babies,” he said.
The story of Snowflake spread widely with news coverage and John’s Instagram post, where he introduces the sweet kitten clinging to his sweater. Many people commented on this post, thanking John for rescuing this precious baby. “Doll-face!!!” one user commented. He posted footage from his Snowflake rescue in this reel, which he shared on his Facebook page. The video got 81K likes!
“Awww,” one Facebook commenter said. “Your warm hand probably felt like heaven to that baby.”
Indeed. Snowflake not only survived the ordeal, but he quickly found a happy ending. John took the kitten to Freeport, N.Y.-based All About Cats Rescue, who discovered that the kitten was healthy and put him up for adoption. A lucky family soon snapped up Snowflake and took him to his forever home.
Snowflake’s story serves as a reminder to keep our cats inside – especially during the cold weather of winter, fall, and early spring – and to step up and help a poor cat or kitten stuck out in the cold. They may not survive the frigid temperatures – hypothermia and frostbite pose grave dangers to your cat in the cold, when the temperature drops below 45 degrees F – so please intervene and do what you can. Even if all you can do is bringing the furbabies inside to stay in a bathroom before you can admit them to a shelter or rescue, you could save lives.
John Debacker / Facebook.com
And maybe, if you have room, the cat you find out in the cold could be a gift from the “Cat Distribution System” and become your family member! That is what happened to Sara Ahlgrim, a woman whom a black cat adopted through the legendary system that is said to supernaturally cross a cat’s path with the animal’s meant-to-be human.
This skittish cat, whom she named “B,” had been sleeping on Sara’s porch and pleading with her to let him in from the cold. She did, and now B is a well-loved pet.
We hope to hear many more survival stories about cats and kittens being rescued from the cold this winter, like Snowflake the kitten and Loki, a fluffy gray cat who survived getting lost for 10 days in the cold in 2025. This remarkable cat somehow survived an ordeal of losing nearly half of his body weight in below-zero temperatures. Loki must have somehow found shelter somewhere before he was reunited with his grateful human, who had been searching frantically for him!
Please keep your eyes open for a Snowflake in your area, and step up to save the cat’s life!
