The pregnant cat was trapped inside of a cardboard box that was taped shut and discarded in a garbage bin this week, according to the Prospect-Lefferts Gardens resident who took the feline in. View Full Caption Ayo Moon

PROSPECT-LEFFERTS GARDENS — A pregnant tabby cat stuffed into a cardboard box, taped shut inside and tossed out as trash this week was rescued just moments before the garbage truck came — and now she needs a home.

Prospect-Lefferts Garden resident Ayo Moon was walking near her home on Ocean Avenue near Lincoln Road on Wednesday morning when the superintendent of a nearby building told her he had heard the cat's meows coming from inside a cardboard box that was taped shut and discarded in a trash bin.

“Someone put her in a cardboard box, taped [the box] up and put her in the trash,” Moon said. “[The super] heard the noise and let her out of the box right before the garbage truck was coming.”

Moon, a biologist and former educator for the Central Park Zoo, took the cat in, but because she's allergic to cats, she is desperate to find a permanent home for the expectant mother. She's been posting fliers around the neighborhood to attract potential owners.

“She’s about to pop,” Moon said. "I'm terrified she's going to deliver."

Moon contacted Animal Care and Control about the cat, but was told the agency doesn't pick up abandoned cats, only accepting them if their rescuers bring them to an AC&C center. So far, only one person has called Moon expressing interest in the cat this week, but she's not sure the woman was serious about adopting.

Despite her precarious position, Moon said the cat is good company.

“She’s the sweetest, nicest cat ever,” she said.

To contact Moon about adopting the found cat, email her at Ayomoon@gmail.com.