If you were wondering what happened to that Jersey City kitten that was rescued Saturday afternoon from drowning in a sewer catch basin, it is resting comfortably at the West Side Avenue Animal Hospital.

Believe it or not, there is patient/hospital confidentiality at work here, but the estimated month-old feline is sore but basically in good health, according to Roselle Camaligan, manager of the animal hospital. The kitten is also a male."Our sore kitten is in the custody of the city Board of Health, and he is getting medical attention and resting comfortably," Camaligan said. "Right now, he is enjoying the air conditioning."

Andy Krochalk, of the Liberty Humane Society, said it will be a while before the "John Doe" kitten is put up for adoption. A cat needs to be at least 2 months old and weigh 2 pounds before it can be spayed or neutered.

"We sometimes wait until they are 2 1/2 to 3 pounds to be on the safe side before any surgery," said Krochalk. "Until then, the cat is in foster care."

When it is ready for adoption, there is a seven-day waiting period to allow an owner to come forward before it can go to a new home, according to Animal Control Officer Emanuel Machado.

The kitten almost did not make it to the animal hospital, according to its rescuer, Animal Control Officer Richard Lorenzi, who heard the cat's protest while standing on the corner at West Side and Communipaw avenues.

As members of the police Emergency Services Unit lifted the sewer basin grating, Lorenzi dropped down into the dark, wet confines and plucked the kitten out of the water as the little furry head went under the surface.

"There were so many people around the intersection asking if they could have the cat," he said.

It is not unusual to find kittens on the street this time of the year.

"There is a kitten season, from spring to the fall," explained Amy Geduldig of the ASPCA national organization in New York City.

"It is the warm months when female cats go into heat. It is also when shelters around the country are busiest with cats."

Gail Buchwald, senior vice president of the ASPCA adoption center points out that the number of cats on the street is a result of human irresponsibility.

"Those feral cats are a result of pets being released or because 'intact' cats, those pets which are not spayed or neutered, are left to roam outside the home," said Buchwald. "Breeding season is triggered by cycles of longer daylight. Cats will roam for longer periods. A male cat will disappear for a longer time, sometimes days. They can smell a female cat a mile away."

She said the biggest threat to cats during this period are not catch basins but cars.

Those who are interested in adopting the "John Doe" cat in Jersey City may want to consider that it may be harder for a new kitten to acclimate itself with an owner if it has had no previous human contact for 14 days, according to Buchwald. Each week that passes it becomes progressively more difficult to bond.

There are still those who say they have beat the odds and still have managed to have a furry companion.