0:28
Little Emmie had quietly boarded the train -- barely clearing the gap -- and was making the rounds, greeting other passengers.
When she first heard the wayward meows, Mercado recalls thinking Emmie was \"super, super small.\"
Then, after no other riders claimed her as their own, Mercado stepped in, scooping the kitten up and heading back home with her.
\"I am proud of myself for doing that,\" Mercado said, noting that she’s grateful for the serendipitous rush hour train ride that yielded her a new four-legged friend.
She took Emmie to the vet the next day, where they confirmed that the kitten was not microchipped and was free to be adopted.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/kitten-2-ht-er-250801_1754088372586_hpEmbed_12x13_384.jpg\")
\"The minute we walked in, everyone knew her story,\" Mercado said, having posted the video of Emmie’s unique commute to social media. \"Everyone wanted to take a picture with her like, 'Oh my God -- it’s the Insta-famous cat.'\"
To help pay for vet bills, Mercado started a fundraiser for Emmie, raising more than $3,000 after the video of the subway kitten went viral.
She closed the fundraiser shortly after, saying that the funds were \"too much for her to accept,\" and adding that she plans to donate leftover proceeds to a few animal shelters in Manhattan.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/kitten-3-ht-er-250801_1754088372777_hpEmbed_3x4_384.jpg\")
One week later, Emmie is now living with her new sibling, a 13-year-old dog named King, and is adjusting to indoor life just fine, Mercado said.
\"Now [we are] being rewarded with a beautiful baby kitten,\" Mercado told ABC News.
And despite the morning chaos, Mercado was able to rescue Emmie -- and make it to work that same day -- on time.
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/stray-kitten-joins-rat-race-aboard-new-york/story?id=124305138","legacySlug":"/culture/story/stray-kitten-joins-rat-race-aboard-new-york-124305138","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"14:15","publishDate":"08-02-2025","updatedTime":"15:40","updatedDate":"08-02-2025","socialImage":{"alt":"A stray kitten that went viral after boarding a New York City subway train last week has been adopted by a fellow commuter.","credit":"Curtis Pocahontae/@Pocahontae via Storyful","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/subway-kitten-ht-gmh-250801_1754084151654_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"8/2/2025 14:15:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":124305138,"headline":"Stray kitten from NYC subway adopted by rescuer","mediaAssetTitle":"GMA Subway kitten","description":"Stand clear of the closing doors, purr-lease.","duration":"0:28","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2025/07/250730_abc_soc_cat_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["133707237","133144263","132956835"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"June 9, 2026","headline":"Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","section":"News","slug":"/video/133707237","id":"133707237","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Flash flood threat as dangerous weather on the move","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260609_gma_zee_weather1_707_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"May 20, 2026","headline":"Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","section":"News","slug":"/video/133144263","id":"133144263","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fashion mogul’s son arrested in father’s fatal fall","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260520_gma_ally_fall3_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"May 14, 2026","headline":"Trump meets Xi Jinping in high-stakes Beijing summit","section":"News","slug":"/video/132956835","id":"132956835","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump meets Xi Jinping in high-stakes Beijing summit","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump meets Xi Jinping in high-stakes Beijing summit","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260514_gma_bruce_china1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Stray kitten from NYC subway adopted by rescuer","description":"Stand clear of the closing doors, purr-lease.","duration":"0:28","uploadDate":"08-02-2025","publication":"08-02-2025","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2025/07/250730_abc_soc_cat_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2025/07/250730_abc_soc_cat_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/stray-kitten-joins-rat-race-aboard-new-york-124305138"}},"playlist":[{"id":"133730535","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133712423","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133694181","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133688738","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616358","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133616342","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133522899","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133584123","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133579397","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133482839","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133390157","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133415361","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133414032","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133380485","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133358298","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133350119","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307515","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133307527","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133282665","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"133220149","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:culture:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"culture","title":"Stray kitten from NYC subway adopted by rescuer","pubTime":"10:15","pubDate":"08-02-2025","modTime":"11:40","modDate":"08-02-2025","taxonomyTags":"none","id":124305138,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Stray kitten from NYC subway adopted by rescuer","mediaAssetTitle":"GMA Subway kitten","videoId":124305138,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/stray-kitten-joins-rat-race-aboard-new-york-124305138"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/124305138","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/124305138","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};