This poor baby bobcat got a second chance at life this week after she was struck by a car and left to die on the side of Nicasio Valley Road on November 16th.

Cory Simon, a Nicasio local, pulled over at the sight of the wounded bundle; Simon wrapped the adorable bobkitten, who weighed only seven pounds at the time, in a shirt, called the Marin Humane Society, and kept the unconscious feline warm by using the seat heater in his car. The MHS officer on duty transported the injured cat to the San Rafael wildlife rehabilitation hospital run by the nonprofit, Wildcare, where she received a full medical work-up. The staff was concerned about potential spinal compression, but the next day the cat proved she could stand up and walk without assistance. Her right eye, which was so swollen it was impossible to tell whether the eyeball had survived the accident, made a full recovery after a weekof rest and medication.

Medical staff checks the sedated Bobcat's teeth.(Melanie Piazza)

After a week, the young bobcat, estimated to be six to nine months of age, was transported to the Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue, which has extensive caging for large mammals. During a month in their care, the cat gained weight and recovered from her injuries. She was justreleased back into the wilds of Nicasio where she belongs.