The driver of the truck, Moses White, had already started the engine to head out on his rounds in Burlington County, N.J., that day, July 8. Motta told White to turn off the engine, then he climbed into the truck’s bin and delicately pried the kitten free from the hopper.
“I’ve had cats my whole life, and I know that when they’re babies, if you grab them by the skin on their necks, it makes them think they’re being carried by their mother,” he said. “So that’s what I did.”
The kitten didn’t fight him.
“She was really scared, but she seemed happy to be rescued,” he said.
Motta used his bright yellow safety shirt to wipe the kitten off the best he could, then he called safety officer Samantha Stamile to let her know what had happened.
Stamile told Motta to put the kitten in a box, then she rushed to her office.
“I got there, and there’s this sweet little kitten, absolutely saturated in some kind of oil from inside the truck,” she said. “She also had a green eye discharge, and she was wheezing. We decided to clean her up right away.”
Stamile and Motta took the kitten to the fleet mechanic shop and gave her several baths with Dawn dish soap to remove the oil.
“The first bath did nothing — she needed quite a few,” said Stamile, noting that she also cleaned the kitten’s eyes with a saline solution and gauze.
Motta decided there was only one name that suited the cat: Squishy.
“I thought it was perfect, because if I hadn’t seen her that morning, there would have been no saving her,” he said.
Stamile gave Squishy some cat food, then took her to All Creatures Veterinary Care Center in Sewell, N.J., where she was examined at no charge and given antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection. The vet said she appeared to be about 2 months old.
Otherwise, the kitten was fine, Stamile said, so she contacted Rise Again Animal Rescue, a New Jersey animal foster and adoption nonprofit. The Asbury Park Press was among several local news organizations to cover the happy rescue.
“I told them I’d like to foster Squishy until she’s old enough to be spayed, vaccinated and put up for adoption,” said Stamile, 30, who has fostered cats for four years for the animal rescue.
Ekaterina Sedia, a founder of Rise Again Animal Rescue, said she added Squishy to her adoption list.
“We know how easily a cat — or especially a young kitten — can get hurt,” Sedia said. “Unless people interfere, an accidental injury is often a death sentence for a cat on the streets.”
Stamile said her two daughters, Arabella, 7, and Adelyn, 2, were delighted when she brought Squishy home and introduced her to the family’s other cat, Rascal.
“My kids have always loved fostering cats, and it instills the importance of treating all life kindly and with respect,” Stamile said.
Squishy is a good fit with the household, and she now enjoys romping around with Rascal and playfully jumping on everyone’s bare feet when they wiggle their toes, she said.
“She’s now completely oil-free, and when you hold her, she’s an absolute cuddle bug,” Stamile said. “She’s becoming more and more social with time.”
It isn’t known how Squishy ended up trapped inside the recycling truck, but Stamile speculates she might have been a feral kitten who climbed in after the driver’s previous run.
Motta said he was happy that Stamile could take in Squishy.
“I don’t think I could have another cat right now because I already have a male cat at home,” he said. “His name is Stinky.”
