11/19/2025
He may have wandered the streets alone, but when KitKat died, an entire city cried for him.
San Francisco is mourning the gentle Mission District cat who somehow made everyone feel like they belonged.
KitKat spent years moving from shop to shop, greeting neighbors, curling up on doorsteps, and reminding people that love can come in the smallest, furriest form. He didn’t have a single owner, but he had a whole community that looked after him. People left blankets where he slept, restaurants saved scraps for him, and kids would search for him on their way home just to say hello.
That is why his death broke so many hearts. When a Waymo driverless car struck and killed him, the neighborhood felt it instantly. Residents rushed to the corner where he last slept and turned it into a memorial filled with candles, drawings, flowers, and handwritten notes. Some cried openly. Others shared stories of how KitKat comforted them on hard days.
Now, the tragedy is raising painful questions about safety and responsibility as autonomous vehicles spread through the city. Local leaders are calling for deeper reviews, and neighbors want answers so that no other animal or person is lost this way again.
KitKat never asked for much. He gave love freely, and in return the city wrapped him in its arms. His absence hurts, but the way San Francisco showed up for him proves he was never just a street cat. He was family.
References:
The New York Times... Driverless Car Kills Beloved Street Cat in San Francisco
San Francisco Standard... Mission District Mourns Community Cat Killed by Waymo Vehicle
SFGate... Beloved Neighborhood Cat KitKat Remembered After Fatal Crash