Help Edith the Garage Cat Find Peace and a Forever Home

For years, a small gray tabby cat lived in the parking garage at my work — a ghostly little presence I called Edith. I would bring her food and gently try to coax her to take it from my hand, but she never did. I assumed she was feral and resigned myself to the idea that she might never trust humans. Still, I kept showing up for her.

Recently, a coworker and I were finally able to trap her and bring her to a nearby cat sanctuary, Fat Kitty City — a place that gives lifelong care to cats who have no one else. But Edith’s story took a surprising turn.

At the sanctuary, they discovered that Edith has a microchip and had been spayed. She’s estimated to be about 10 years old, which means she once belonged to someone. Whether she was lost or abandoned, we may never know — but she spent years alone, surviving in a cold parking garage.

When she arrived at the sanctuary, the staff didn’t know she already had a name. She was wheezing badly from what turned out to be an upper respiratory infection, so they affectionately named her Marley — as in “Marlboros,” imagining her as a tough old gal with a smoker’s rasp. It was a name given with warmth and humor, and it stuck… but to me, she’s always been Edith.

She’s currently in a 30-day quarantine at the sanctuary. She arrived covered in mats and had to be shaved. I’ve visited her several times since she arrived, and something wonderful happened…

On my first visit, she let me pet her — something she had never allowed in all the years I knew her. The second time I visited, she was hiding on a shelf in the quarantine room. I reached up to scratch her head, and this time… she rubbed against my hand and started purring. https://youtube.com/shorts/B_jGkaE8180?feature=share

This quiet little cat, who had only ever known survival, was finally letting herself be comforted.

The sanctuary requires a $2,500 endowment to provide lifelong care for each surrendered cat. My coworker has already paid $700 out of her own pocket. We’re raising funds to cover the cost of the endowment. If we can raise the full $2,500, we’ll reimburse the $700 she has already spent and pay off the rest of the endowment. If we can make more, all the funds will go to Fat Kitty City, a truly amazing place.

If it becomes possible, I would love nothing more than to adopt Edith myself — to give her the peaceful home she’s always deserved, alongside my two senior cats. But whether she stays at the sanctuary or comes home with me, she is safe now, and we want to honor that with the care she needs.

If you’ve ever loved a stray or believed in second chances, I hope you’ll consider donating — even $5 makes a difference.

From the bottom of our hearts — thank you for helping Edith finally find comfort, safety, and love.