A New Jersey kitten was rescued in the nick of time from a waste compactor, but one or two of its nine lives may be lost.
Mark Motta, an employee of the Burlington County Regional Recycling Program, went to check the hydraulics on his truck on July 8, a normal day at work.
The hydraulics were working fine, but to their surprise, the compressor contained something else: a kitten.
The little stowaway looked frightened and was covered in oil.
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“I happened to see her little head, so I ran, stopped the compactor, got in my truck and got her out,” Motta told Fox News Digital via Facebook Messenger.
Motta said he didn’t know why the department decided to give the truck an especially thorough inspection that day.
Mark Motta, pictured, felt strangely compelled to check his truck more thoroughly and that’s when he discovered the cat. (Mark Motta)
“It’s a routine thing to check that everything is working,” he said. “Normally, you don’t go inside a truck just to make sure everything is working.”
He added: “To be honest with you, I don’t know why I would have done anything differently then.”
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Motta removed the kitten from the truck, took it to the plant, and contacted a safety officer to discuss what to do next.
He said the kitten was taken to a vet after “multiple washes with Dawn soap” and is now being fostered by the same safety officer until it’s ready for adoption.
Motta told Fox News Digital that “Squishy” was covered in oil and had to be given “multiple baths with Dawn soap” after being discovered. (Mark Motta)
The lucky kitten, a pale calico cat, has since been named “Squishy” and was recently reunited with Motta.
How Squishy ended up inside the compactor is a mystery, Motta said.
He said he has never found an animal in a compactor before.
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Squishy is currently being cared for by Rise Again Animal Rescue in Hammonton, New Jersey.
The rescue group shared photos of Squishy’s reunion on their social media pages, along with a brief update on his condition.
Motta and Squishy were reunited at Rise Again Animal Rescue in New Jersey. (Courtesy of Mark Motta)
“Squishy is doing well after his adventure,” the rescue group said.
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On social media, people were delighted to hear the cat was doing well, and expressed relief that Motta was able to find him before it was too late.
Motta isn’t available for adoption, but he hopes she finds a good home.
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“She loves to cuddle and she’s a sweet girl,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Rise Again Animal Rescue for further comment.
