“[S]he’s pretty darn strong …”
As a national correspondent, NewsNation reporter Ryan Bass spent weeks documenting Hurricanes Helene and Milton from Florida’s Tampa Bay area. While continuously reporting on the destruction felt mostly heartbreaking, Bass found an unexpected glimmer of hope in the rubble the morning after Hurricane Milton.
It all started when Bass and his photographer pulled up to a torn-apart building on Tampa’s Palmetto Beach just after sunrise on October 10.
“We had been doing some reports that morning just on some of the people affected, and we came across that building,” Bass told The Dodo. “When our van pulled up to get set up for our 6 a.m. live shot, I heard meowing by the debris.”
After two back-to-back hurricanes, Bass was used to the typical post-storm sounds, like generators whirring in the distance and construction vehicles sifting through the destruction. But this was his first time hearing meows after such an event.
“I was a little worried because that building, the entire front of that building, had been torn off from the hurricane,” Bass said. “I was worried when I first heard the meowing that there was an animal stuck under there.”
Bass immediately stopped what he was doing and followed the cries to the destroyed building behind him.
“Naturally, I was curious, and I wanted to make sure if there were any animals, that they were OK,” Bass said. “So I walked over to the debris, and the next thing you know, a little kitty emerges.”
Bass was shocked to see a mocha-colored tortoiseshell cat emerge from the pile of rubble, seemingly unscathed and incredibly friendly.
“[She] just kind of pokes [her] head out, and [she] was super sweet,” Bass said. “[She was] a little skittish at first, but then [she] came up and started purring and kind of rubbing on my legs.”
Amid the post-hurricane chaos, the friendly cat seemed thrilled to make a new friend. He had no idea what she’d experienced during the storm, but her mere survival confirmed her resilience.
“She did survive the storm, so, obviously, she’s pretty darn strong,” Bass said. “I was just grateful that she was full of energy and didn’t seem hurt; that was my main concern.”
Bass gave the cat, whom he nicknamed Milton, tons of pets and praise before continuing his reporting. Milton scurried under the news truck when Bass first went live then reemerged just as he was finishing up.
“At the end of my live shot, I kind of referenced the cat, and when my photographer panned over, you could see her kind of come up and run through,” Bass said. “It was super sweet.”
By the end of Bass’ 6 a.m. report, Milton the cat was already famous. In addition to appearing on the news segment, Bass posted a picture of Milton on his X account, which quickly garnered millions of views.
You can see Bass’ post about Milton the cat here:
While Bass sorted through the multiple adoption inquiries, the family who owned the building and business where Milton was found offered to care for her.
“I spoke with Dana Head, one of the workers in that building, whose family owned it,” Bass said. “As I was speaking to her, the cat came up and started interacting with the family. She was super sweet. So they ended up taking the kitty inside and feeding her and kind of housing her for a bit.”
Head and her family member, Ben Shaw, quickly fell in love with Milton. They knew, as Bass received a few serious adoption inquiries, that they’d likely have to say goodbye to Milton soon. But after spending some time with her, the family decided they couldn’t let Milton go.
“They sent me a text that said, ‘We are already attached to Milton and think we’re gonna keep her,’” Bass said. “‘She’s just so darn sweet.’”
The family and owners of Pilgrim Permocoat, Inc. are still working on rebuilding their home and business after the storm, but thankfully, they have a loyal new cat by their side. In the wake of such heartbreaking damage, Milton the cat has filled an entire community with hope.
“It’s really a heartwarming and happy ending that we were able to find this cat in the rubble of their building, and that they’ve decided they want to keep her,” Bass said. “I’m really glad they got attached to her.”
