“She looked terrified and was so little”
By Ashley Ortiz
Published on July 30, 2026 at 6:16 PM
Eleven-year-old Madison was biking to her local Target the other day when she noticed something moving out of the corner of her eye, followed by a soft cry. Without skipping a beat, she hopped off her bike, peered into a row of bushes and found a furry face staring back at her.
“She saw a little kitty,” Madison’s mom, Alayna Novini, told The Dodo. “She looked terrified and was so little.”
Madison had no idea where the kitten had come from or how long she’d been hiding in the bushes. But as soon as she noticed her, the young girl refused to leave her new friend behind. She called her mom, who soon arrived with the carrier they typically used for their adult cat back home.
Moments later, Madison carefully plucked the kitten from her hideout in the bushes and placed her in the carrier. Alayna then drove them to Camino Veterinary Hospital, where the kitten, whom they named S’mores, received a thorough checkup.
You can watch footage from S’mores’ rescue here:
@alaynanovini7My sweet Madison found a kitten in need today on her bike ride. She is so scared. We took her to the vet and she is severely under weight and dehydrated. 16 weeks old and only 1.6 lbs. we gave her fluids and a dewormer. Next week will vaccinate her. Welcome home S’mores 🫶🏼😭🩷#kittyrescue#kitten♬ a punk – 3 minute audios
Alayna and her daughter were shocked to learn that S’mores — a white, orange and gray calico — weighed only 1 pound and 4 ounces, with an estimated age of 16 weeks. The poor baby was severely dehydrated, underweight and had a back leg injury that made it difficult to walk.
S’mores had a long road of recovery ahead of her, but she luckily had two new cheerleaders who promised to never leave her side.
“Instantly, we knew she’d be ours,” Alayna said. “[Madison] was in love already and gave her a bath that first day and took care of her.”
Alayna and Madison took S’mores home to meet the rest of the family, including their tabby cat and two big goldendoodles. The sweet girl quickly settled into her new routine, enjoying constant cuddles with her favorite humans and nutritious meals to help her reach a healthy weight.
“Her belly will never go empty with us, that’s for sure,” Alayna said.
It’s been four weeks since S’mores joined the Novini household, and they can’t imagine life without her. Thanks to their love and care, her leg is fully healed, and she’s no longer underweight.
You can see S’mores’ transformation here:
@alaynanovini7Replying to @Beautiful Gifts in the Woods ok this little love is doing so well. She went from 1.04 to 1.13lbs in 4 days. She walking better on her foot but still a lip. Dr isn’t concerned with it. She doesn’t seem to be in any pain and everything feels and looks good. She’s getting to be playful and is just so sweet. She’s got her 1st round of shots today and will go back again in 3 weeks 🫶🏼 shout out to Dr.Havekost Camino Veterinary Hopsital.#kittyrescue#danclemente♬ original sound – Deo M. Divinagracia – RetroSibs 🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
Now, S’mores spends her days making lifelong memories with her favorite humans, especially sweet Madison.
“She is the perfect addition to our family,” Alayna said, “and Madison found her little best friend.”
To keep up with S’mores’ adventures, you can follow Alayna Novini on TikTok and Instagram.