Homeless Cat Only Accepts Food In Plastic Bags…Rescuer Discovers Why, And Her Heart Shatters

Life on the streets is hard for anyone, human or animal. Not having a shelter over your head is just awful.

Worse, not having a regular source for meals and water can be deadly.

Humans can seek out shelters but animals don’t have that option. They are either in a shelter, or they are on the streets…there is no in between.

And in many places, there simply isn’t room at the available shelters for any more animals, no matter how sad their plight.

One Korean woman knew how difficult it was for a feral cat to survive, and also realized the impossibility of finding space in a shelter, much less a permanent home.

So, for 5 years, this kind-hearted animal lover made it her business to distribute food to all of the feral cats that lived in her neighborhood.

She bonded with many of them, but one definitely stood out from the pack for an exceptional reason:

The funny thing about this cat, the thing that made her stand out from the rest of the crowd, was that she never actually ate anything.

When presented with a bowl of fresh dry food, she would sniff it, then turn away.

The other stray cats ate in a frenzy but and as soon as she saw that all of the food was gone, the little yellow cat would turn and walk away.

The woman was puzzled. Perhaps there was something about the bowl that the little cat didn’t like?

She tried a variety of different plates and bowls, but the cat that she had named Dongsuk still turned up her nose at the food.

Worried that Dongsuk wasn’t getting the nutrition she needed to stay strong and healthy, the woman even brought along a special can of food to try to tempt her.

Still, the little cat refused to eat. As soon as everyone else was finished, she once again turned and walked away.

Then, one day the woman brought the food in a plastic bag. When the bag was almost empty, the cat reached up onto the table and took it into her mouth!

She trotted away quickly, as if she knew exactly where she was supposed to be, and she was late.

The woman pondered what had happened. The next day, she presented the little cat with another small plastic bag of food.

The cat promptly snagged it away from her and ran off in the same direction.

This became a routine for them. When she was preparing the food to take to the feeding spot, she always packed a small bag of extra food for Dongsuk.

And Dongsuk never failed to show up, take it, and run!

People talk about cats being curious, but the woman found that it was her curiosity that was piqued.

She couldn’t stop wondering where the cat was carrying her food before she ate it.

She was glad that Dongsuk now had access to proper nutrition, but why would she only take food that would be more difficult to access and eat?

Another volunteer suggested they follow the cat to see where she went.

They knew they would have to be very quiet and careful and not let her know they were watching, though.

As much as they wanted to know where she was going and why, they also didn’t want to scare her away from her only source of good nutrition.

The next day when the cat took her usual bag of food the woman and the other volunteer waited a moment, then carefully set out after her.

Then, a little farther on, the cat stopped at a door and seemed to be waiting. The women were baffled. What was going on?

Suddenly, as if she had received an invisible signal, the cat leaped up and in seconds was on the small rooftop above the door. Still, she didn’t drop the bag and eat.

Moments later, the women gasped as the answer to all their questions became apparent:

A ginger kitten came out of the shadows and walked towards the cat. Dongsuk was a mom!

She had been taking the food back to her home to feed her kitten!

Even though Dongsuk must have been near starving, especially after that long walk smelling the food through the plastic, she would not eat until her kitten had had its fill.

Then she finished off everything in the little baggie.

At that point, the two women realized that despite the odds against finding a shelter placement or home for another cat, they simply had to do something to help this dedicated mom and her baby.

They asked around in the neighborhood. The stories they heard had them almost in tears.

Yes, the neighbors knew of Dongsuk. She was a very nice cat. She had had five babies that she had tried hard to provide for, but all had died but one.

Their hearts cracked thinking of this plucky mom, obviously so smart as well as street savvy, doing the best she could and still having to watch her babies die one by one.

Then they pledged to find her and her last remaining baby a safe place to live.

They knew they could do nothing overnight, so their plans to begin with were small.

They began putting a bit more food in the little baggie for Dongsuk to be sure that both cats were getting enough nutrition.

They put an old quilt in place so the mom and baby would have a warm place to sleep, too.

Eventually, the day came when it was time to catch the two and take them to a safe haven.

Dongsuk had warmed up to the women once she realized they were not there to hurt them.

Her kitten took a little longer; after all, she had lived her entire life fearful of humans, which is what had saved her life.

As wonderful as it was going to be once they were safe, the women knew that the capture was going to be traumatic for both cats.

But they had to press on.

Armed with a net and a blanket lined cage, the women got ready to save the cats from their life on the street.

The cats didn’t much like the net coming down around them, but they seemed to understand that it was for their own good.

They didn’t struggle much and went into the cage without too much trauma.

That wasn’t the end of their story either. Now they have their very own little house as they wait for their permanent home to appear!

Their food comes to them every day, in nice clean bowls.

They have clean water and warm fluffy blankets to snuggle into while they wait for someone to take them to a home.

Will that kindly someone be you…? Even if you can’t, you have to appreciate this amazing story!

Source: Honest to Paws