Two years ago, Lexis Noelle was driving through McKee, Kentucky, running some errands, when she saw a piece of litter moving outside the local courthouse.
The longtime animal advocate and rescuer immediately pulled over, suspecting something might be wrong.
She could see that the object was an empty Dairy Queen cup with bits of fudge still stuck to the bottom. But who was trapped inside? At first, Noelle assumed the animal was a small opossum. Then she got closer and realized this wasn’t a wild animal at all — he was a little kitten, and he was “gasping for air.”
Noelle raced over to help, fearing the kitten might suffocate.
“I hurried and grabbed him so he wouldn't take off running,” Noelle told The Dodo. “I brought him in the car and opened the lid to the cup, and he just stared at me with wide eyes and hot fudge all over his face.”
The rescuer took the kitten home and gave him a bath, removing the fudge and fleas from his fur. She wrapped him in a towel and made a vet appointment for the following morning.
Originally, Noelle planned to house the kitten for a while and then pass him off to a trusted shelter. But two days after the rescue, Noelle knew the kitten wasn’t going anywhere.
“He had already found his home with us,” Noelle said. “My two female cats took him right in, and he loved them to pieces. My three dogs also took to him immediately, so I knew he didn't have to go anywhere.”
Today, the kitten’s name is Fudge. He’s fully grown, fluffy and still in love with his family.
Noelle can’t imagine life without Fudge, and she’s so glad she found him that fateful day.
“Fudge is a smart, silly, happy, chunky boy!” Noelle said. “He loves to play in water, [to play] with his cat sisters, and [nap] on his catio … He is so silly and is constantly making us laugh.”
