Detta är " Kattens pyjamas " av Jack McDevitt.
Författarens egen beskrivning matchar din fråga ganska bra:
Tell us a bit about your story. What’s it about?
A supply vehicle arrives at a pulsar research station, but finds the place has been destroyed by an asteroid. The only survivor is a cat. There’s no obvious way to rescue the animal. And to attempt it would be exceedingly dangerous. So let’s just leave it. Right? Everybody loves a kitten. They’d like to help it, but a rescue doesn’t look possible. And ultimately, how much are we willing to put on the line for a cat?