A Florida man is being lauded after footage of him saving a stranded cat surrounded by the rushing floodwaters of Hurricane Ian was shared on social media.
Mike Ross, 29, along with some friends, spotted the nervous-looking cat stuck on top of an air condition unit beside a house in Bonita Springs — near Fort Myers — at around 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Ross was seeking shelter at his parent’s place because his was under ten feet of water, the Washington Post reported.
“The storm surge had rushed up quite a bit at that point,” Ross told the outlet.
Ross noted the cat looked “terrified,” so he decided to brave the rushing waters and rescue the cat.
“Look at Michael saving the kitty,” says his mother, who was filming her son as he held the wide-eyed feline in his arms.
Ross’s girlfriend shared the video on Twitter, and it has gained over 3.4 million views and over 200,000 interactions on Twitter as of Thursday.
Watch:
My boyfriend saving a cat from flood waters near Bonita Beach. #HurricaneIan #Naples #Bonita #FortMyers pic.twitter.com/BlBC9P1rdy
— Megan Cruz Scavo (@MeganScavo) September 28, 2022
“My boyfriend saving a cat from flood waters near Bonita Beach,” said Megan Cruz Scavo on Twitter.
The heartwarming video had social media users admiring Ross and the adorable cat.
“I’m sorry, Megan, but he is everyone’s boyfriend now. I don’t make the rules,” said one user.
“Marry him,” said another user, to which many echoed.
The cat is currently staying with Ross and his family, who are planning to keep it if they cannot find its owners.
Scavo has since organized a GoFundMe page to raise funds to repair her and Ross’s home, which she says has suffered “terrible damage,” while also donating half the proceeds to the Naples Humane Society for pets and people affected by the hurricane.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
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