Kitten Needs Help Coming Home To States With Army Soldier Who Saved Her

By: Kelli Brinegar
For more than five years, Kelli Brinegar has been using her ability to write and her passion for research to tell the tale of what cats are thinking and why. She has provided care to more than 30 cats in her lifetime.Read more
| November 17, 2020

Heartache finds us when we least expect it, but so does hope.

On her most recent deployment to the Middle East, Army Sergeant Ash learned this very fact thanks to a sickly kitten. And now that its almost time for Sgt. Ash to return home, she and her darling kitten, Rona, risk separation. But Guardians of Rescue is giving us a chance to keep a cat mom and her kitten together.

Not long ago, Sgt. Ash received some tough news from home. Being half a world away from the comfort of loved ones, she had a hard time coping. Getting bad news and being left alone with it is never an easy thing, but fortunately for the soldier, healing was only four little paws away.


Image Courtesy of Guardians of Rescue Inc. 

Healing Rona

When her roommate introduced her to a sickly kitten, Sgt. Ash knew she had to help the one-week-old baby. That first night, Sgt. Ash kept the kitten in a box on her nightstand to keep a close eye. It was a rough night. The Guardians of Rescue shared, “Twice she almost lost her. But she kept fighting, and with Ash’s loving care, she made it.”

Helping the kitten claw her way back to health eased some of the heartache Sgt. Ash carried with her. And soon, the pair quickly bonded into a forever family. To signify the fight the tough kitten had overcome, Sgt. Ash gave her a memorable name. In a People magazine feature, the Guardians said, “Once she overcame being sick, she decided to name her Rona, which was after the coronavirus, because she felt that the virus is tough to fight, and Rona had put up a great fight.”


Image Courtesy of Guardians of Rescue Inc. 

Sgt. Ash said, “We saved each other and we belong together.”

They helped each other, but now Sgt. Ash and Rona need our help.

Almost Time to Come Home

Sgt. Ash will be returning to the States soon and getting Rona home is a complicated and expensive process. The Guardians of Rescue have been a great help to the soldier and her kitten, guiding them through the process and also hosting a fundraiser to help the kitten come forever home to the U.S.

Robert Misseri, president of Guardians of Rescue, told People, “We know all too well how important and lifesaving these pets are to our soldiers stationed in the Middle East. When they come back home, they can’t bear to leave them there, and we agree that it’s not safe. Leaving the cat in the Middle East will end up being a death sentence for it. We will make every effort to bring Rona home to her, but we need the public’s support to help make it happen.”


Image Courtesy of Guardians of Rescue Inc. 

“I pray that Guardians of Rescue will be able to bring Rona home to the States, where we can live out our lives together,” Sgt. Ash said. “I’m grateful for their help, as well as to everyone who donates to help make it possible.”

H/T: www.people.com
Feature Image Courtesy of Guardians of Rescue Inc.