#LaredoRestStopCats
Lessons Learned: Long-Distance Rescue still in progress
100 roadside cats & kittens need help near Laredo, TX
by Holly KO
Cat Care Network Board President and “Crazy Cat Lady”
In early February, we learned about a large colony of cats and kittens struggling to survive at a rural rest stop off Interstate 35 between Laredo and San Antonio. According to reports, “they were in desperate condition… had no food or water and were visibly begging for sustenance.”
Here’s the thing: Cat Care Network of Central Iowa is a thousand miles away from Laredo. I don’t know anyone in the area. But this case struck a chord with me, and also apparently with a LOT of folks on Bluesky.
Can you help the #LaredoRestStopCats?
Here’s the latest news (scroll to the bottom of the page for the full timeline + all organizations who have been in contact so far):
- Weds 3/5/25: Finally got some good on-the-ground insight thanks to some wonderful local folks:
- Bella & Claudia kindly drove for hours (and battled car troubles) to assess the situation in person. They took photos (see below), assessed the cats, and most importantly, asked questions! They learned:
- There are MORE cats than expected. We assumed 20ish, based on an initial report in early Feb, But the estimate is OVER ONE HUNDRED!! Likely 70ish on the northbound side (to San Antonio) + 30ish on the southbound side (to Laredo).
- At least some cats appear socialized and will approach for food. Cats look generally young and healthy, although they noticed some swollen bellies which could indicate pregnancies and/or worms.
- “Ronny” (keeping anonymous for now) regularly sees the cats and cares about their well-being. He shared:
- This is the biggest cat colony he’s seen across various rest stops in the county and has grown considerably over the years. People frequently dump cats at this location, likely because they see so many cats.
- He has noticed 1-2 consistent caretakers who drop off food regularly. But TX has laws against feeding strays so folks stay anonymous and secretive.
- He occasionally traps but has no idea what happens to the cats when he drops them off to the city (they do not return and he assumes they may be euthanized).
- Bella & Claudia kindly drove for hours (and battled car troubles) to assess the situation in person. They took photos (see below), assessed the cats, and most importantly, asked questions! They learned:
Bottom line: The #LaredoRestStopCats desperately need our help!
70ish cats reported at Northbound rest stop.
(3/5/25 photo by Bella)
Some are friendly. Saw one recent spay, but no ear tip.
(3/5/25 photo by Bella)
30ish cats reported at Southbound rest stop.
(3/5/25 photo by Bella)
Lots of young cats, who will soon add 100s of kittens.
(3/5/25 photo by Bella)
How this ends is up to us… All of us.
Here’s how you can help:
- Amplify, amplify, amplify! Please continue to share this story via Bluesky and other social media.
- Donate now to the GoFundMe to make it easier for local rescue organizations to help. Financial help will be essential for a rescue org to say YES to this big job that may take weeks/months.
- We need local help! Contact me at [email protected] if you have recommendations for who may be able to help on the ground:
- Onsite caretakers – Before/during/after a TNR or rescue organization gets involved, these cats will need caretakers. They need a reliable food/water source so that 1) they survive and stay there plus 2) they’ll be used to a schedule of food when it comes time for trapping.
- Do you live in or travel through the area or know someone who does?
- TNR help – this is a HUGE ask for organizations already short on resources. So it will likely/hopefully involve multiple organizations.
- Onsite caretakers – Before/during/after a TNR or rescue organization gets involved, these cats will need caretakers. They need a reliable food/water source so that 1) they survive and stay there plus 2) they’ll be used to a schedule of food when it comes time for trapping.
Thank you for caring about these cats!
In 30 days, we have:
- Raised over $1,500 toward TNR and long-term caretaking efforts – this is critical to ensure organizations know we’re serious!
- Found 1 potential trapper (Ronny) + 1 potential transporter (Bella & Claudia)
- Talked with multiple nonprofit and municipal orgs to learn about options
- NEXT STEPS: I’m coordinating with Ronny for more info and to hopefully connect with local caretakers. Continuing to search for orgs to help with assessment, surgery, and monitoring.
Sadly, these cases are happening everywhere, every day. But we know about THIS one now, so we can help THESE cats… together. Thank you for your support!
Timeline to-date
This is the power of harnessing social media crowdsourcing for good! Here’s how it’s unfolding so far:
FEBRUARY 2025:
- This started on Sat 2/8 when @Shawnfeb.bsky.social found an article on San Antonio Express News describing the problem and the dead ends encountered. @CatCareNetworkIowa.bsky.social started asking around. And attention grew… and grew. Thousands of interactions across a few huge Bluesky accounts and many, many individuals.
- Mon 2/10 – Fri 2/14: Seeing the continued interest, but knowing how huge the effort would be to rescue these cats, we launched a small GoFundMe fundraiser.
- Minterland and Shadow Cats in Austin are aware. I’ve also reached out to city animal services and the San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition.
- I’ve emailed the San Antonio Express News columnist to try to reach the original person who saw/reported the cats.
- Austin Pets Alive kindly pointed me to a super-helpful resource for South Texas rescue orgs.
- Fri 2/14: Best Friends for Life in Laredo is aware and provided some good guidance. Like most rescue orgs, they have limited resources and no on-site vet (which validates our fundraising efforts).
- Sat 2/22: A potential local contact, Bella @lxmenerd.bsky.social reached out. Bella and her friend Claudia plan to travel to the rest stop and report back.
- Fri 2/28: Still playing the “not it” game with local municipal animal control. Jurisdiction continues to be a challenge… this rest stop appears to be in a “no man’s land.” BUT that’s not stopping us from continuing to try!
- Mon 2/10 – Fri 2/14: Seeing the continued interest, but knowing how huge the effort would be to rescue these cats, we launched a small GoFundMe fundraiser.
MARCH 2025
- Weds 3/5: Finally got some good on-the-ground insight thanks to some wonderful local folks:
- Bella & Claudia kindly drove for hours (and battled car troubles) to assess the situation in person. They took photos (see below), assessed the cats, and most importantly, asked questions! They learned:
- There are MORE cats than expected. We assumed 20ish, based on an initial report in early Feb, But the estimate is OVER ONE HUNDRED!! Likely 70ish on the northbound side (to San Antonio) + 30ish on the southbound side (to Laredo).
- At least some cats appear socialized and will approach for food. Cats look generally young and healthy, although they noticed some swollen bellies which could indicate pregnancies and/or worms.
- “Ronny” (keeping anonymous for now) regularly sees the cats and cares about their well-being. He shared:
- This is the biggest cat colony he’s seen across various rest stops in the county and has grown considerably over the years. People frequently dump cats at this location, likely because they see so many cats.
- He has noticed 1-2 consistent caretakers who drop off food regularly. But TX has laws against feeding strays so folks stay anonymous and secretive.
- He occasionally traps but has no idea what happens to the cats when he drops them off to the city (they do not return and he assumes they may be euthanized).
- Bella & Claudia kindly drove for hours (and battled car troubles) to assess the situation in person. They took photos (see below), assessed the cats, and most importantly, asked questions! They learned:
NEXT STEPS: I’m coordinating with Ronny for more info and to hopefully connect with local caretakers. Continuing to search for orgs to help with assessment, surgery, and monitoring.