SUDBURY -- It was a group effort among Sudbury drivers to save a kitten earlier this week that was seen running alongside a busy highway. After a thorough search, the kitten was found in a car fender and has now been given the name ‘Fender.’

Fender is about 10 weeks old and was found under Shirley Anderson’s car, who was able to rescue the distressed feline.

“I glanced at the side of the road and I saw this little black thing hopping and I thought it was a weasel," Anderson said. "I look over and see a man trying to stop traffic and I realized it was a kitten. So I did a U-turn, got out and tried to help rescue this kitten. As I approached … a vehicle almost hit the kitten, then she ran under my car,”

Anderson said someone from nearby Speedy Glass helped her look for Fender for close to an hour Tuesday afternoon.

“We kept on trying and trying, then another man from Fountain Tire named Corey came by and he said, 'hold on I’ll go get a jack,'' she said. "He jacked up the car and went under the fender, and there she was. She was terrified.”

Anderson then called SAINTS Rescue Sudbury, which stands for 'Safeguarding Animals In Need Today Society,' and a volunteer immediately picked her up.

Found good homes

“We got the cat, we put her in the carrier and I brought her home and now it’s time to get the cat to relax, know that it’s safe,” said Carole Gascon, a volunteer at SAINTS.

Officials with SAINTS said the number of applications to adopt a cat has doubled this summer. Just last month, 32 cats were adopted, which they say is significantly higher than June of 2019.

“We believe we have found good homes for them,” said Gascon. "Last year in comparison, nothing was moving. People were busy, we had kittens that were being adopted late in the year and now they don’t even make it to the shelter. They are pre-adopted. We have a waiting list of people wanting to adopt cats and kittens.”

Volunteers say COVID plays a big role in that.

“People have the time to spend to get the cat accustomed to their new home and to train it,” said Gascon.

Officials with SAINTS said donations are vital at this time. Money donated goes to feeding the cats and getting them the medical help they need.

Fender will be looking for her forever home in a few weeks.