New York Daily Photo Analytics

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Kitty

Jamal is a regular in the neighborhood - I met him last summer when he was working as a Pedicab driver. So, I was surprised to meet him on Bleecker Street in the West Village with a 4-week old kitten in a guitar case. The kitty, which he had rescued from a subway platform, also had an eye infection. Animals in need will certainly get people to rise to the occasion, even from New Yorkers who are frequently stereotyped as unsympathetic. New Yorkers can be cynical, skeptical, and leery of scams (which are common), but when a legitimate need is perceived, people here, like anywhere else, will respond. Jamal collected $325 in just a few hours the day before, most of which he said used on a visit to the vet and medications for the cat. At one point, Jamal asked me to help, so I held the cat while Jamal administered the eye drops. It was not difficult at all with such a young cat - he offered little resistance compared to an adult cat, where such a procedure can be a real undertaking - cats are notoriously uncooperative taking meds.
BTW - The sign in the photo had a different message on each side. The message shown is from the previous day used to collect for the vet (he turned the sign over before I shot this to show me the original message used to raise money for the vet. Click here for a photo with the message I saw when I arrived.)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

So, Jamal has a very interesting life..
Everyday happens something extra-ordinal.. :(

indieperfumes said...

Compassion to animals is wonderful to see...there is so much cruelty to them too

Missy,Mrs and Mum said...

Great photo, blimey the kitty is tiny. Hope it gets sorted,if you see it again give it a cuddle from me.

lv2scpbk said...

Coming up with different pleas might be difficult. I guess whatever works, and he is finding out what works for him.

Anonymous said...

Poor kitty. Hope he's feeling better by now. Does Jamal play the guitar, or just use the case to tote the cat & sign around?

• Eliane • said...

See how sweet and kind we are?!? And with such a witty and fun sign no wonder it was easy to collect money for the vet.

photolicious said...

That's so eternally sweet, I just melted at the sight of that poor kitten. In Singapore, people not only abuse animals but maids as well. Animals get kicked mercilessly and some are subject to treatments so brutal I can't post them here. Don't expect anyone to lend a helping hand in Singapore to dying or sick animals.

Kudos to Jamal for being such a kind-spirited soul!

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