Community shows support for Onset's 'Ice Cream Kitty'

When a new stray cat started showing up at Nana's Ice Cream in Onset, a group of employees knew she wasn't supposed to be outside. 

According to Jessica Bell, who runs Spikes Mission Cat Rescue, a group of cats regularly roams the streets of Onset and is known to neighbors. When a new cat showed up on Sunday, June 28, crying outside the door of the ice cream shop, employees knew it wasn't one of those cats. 

A group of employees began caring for the cat, now known as Yarelis, nicknamed "Yuri," feeding her hot dogs and trying to find her owner. 

After asking neighbors where Yarelis came from, the group was stumped. No neighbor claimed Yarelis as their own, so the employees brought Yarelis to Bell's cat rescue.

Bell said that when she saw the cat, she knew that "something was going on." She said that Yarelis was vomiting a lot and seemed sluggish. After going to animal urgent care, Yarelis got fluids to help with dehydration and anti-nausea medicine. Bell said Yarelis felt great for a day, but then plateaued. 

Bell said she told one of the Nana's Ice Cream employees that she didn't "have a great feeling" about the cat's health and knew that it was going to be expensive to help her. 

"I don't have volunteers or businesses that help me," Bell said. "It's all out of pocket for me."

Early last week, Yarelis received an ultrasound where veterinarians found a mass in her stomach. The doctors could not determine if the mass was from constipation or something more serious that would require surgery, like a blockage or cancer. 

Bell said Yarelis isn't eating right now and is still lethargic. She expects Yarelis to go back to Marion Animal Hospital sometime this week. 

According to veterinary bills posted by Bell, the cost of treating Yarelis has already climbed to over $1,300. A Nana's Ice Cream employee started a GoFundMe, which was posted online and has since raised more than $1,300 to help care for Yarelis. 

"I am so so so grateful," Bell said about the support she's received.

Bell said she will spend everything that she can to help Yarelis, but is limited by financial constraints. Her rescue also services multiple other cats while caring for Yarelis. 

Doctors determined that Yarelis was young, between 4 and 6 years old. Bell said that she was spayed but did not have a microchip. 

"This is such a sweet kitty, this has to be someone's kitty," Bell said. "She clearly was inside at one point."

Bell said that she's doing everything she can to find out what's wrong with Yarelis, but the cat is not in good health. She described the cat's current status as being in a "mystery Sherlock Holmes phase." And while the circumstances are sad, Bell found a silver lining. 

"There is something beautiful though, that this cat was just outside, crying to get in and a bunch of teenagers were giving her hot dogs…" Bell said.

Bell said her hope is that Yarelis begins to heal and that she can be reunited with her lost owner or find another loving home.