Cat Care Network of Central Iowa

Author: Holly KO

About the #LaredoRestStopCats movement
#LaredoRestStopCats

Lessons Learned: Long-Distance Rescue still in progress

Roadside cats & kittens helped 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.

Thank you for helping 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):
- 8/9/25 – Endless thanks to the Best Friends for Life cat rescue & TNR org in Laredo, Texas!! Michelle from Be st Friends for Life emailed “We have some exciting news! Despite the challenges of the hot Texas summer, we successfully trapped, neutered, and returned (TNR) 23 cats at the La Salle rest stop in July. We’re so proud of this accomplishment and grateful for your support in making it happen. We thank you for collecting donations to make this possible!”
- 6/25/25 – Michelle from Best Friends for Life emailed “I recently stopped by the rest stop, and yes – there are over 25 cats there. Thankfully, they all appear healthy and the site caretakers confirmed that they are feeding them regularly. We’ve already conducted an initial assessment and plan to have them fixed in San Antonio. However, funding remains a major challenge, and we’ll need to do additional fundraising to cover transportation and surgeries. That said, the area caretakers seem very supportive and would be thrilled to see this move forward.”
- 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.
  - “Ron” (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).
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.
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!
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).
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.
February 11, 2025
Community partnership saved Piper’s life
spotlight: available for adoption

Sweet, Brave Piper

Piper epitomizes all we do at Cat Care Network.

by Holly KO

CCN Board President and “Crazy Cat Lady”

Piper is among the most beautiful cats I’ve ever met. She is simply stunning with marbled tortie coloration and a dramatic stroke of bronze down her nose. Her eyes are shimmering pools of green and gold.

Piper is also among the luckiest I’ve seen.

She is thriving and adoptable today because community partnership WORKS. Within December, 6-month-old Piper was:

Noticed by a kindhearted community caregiver

Live trapped by CCN

Spayed and vaccinated by ARL

Flagged as adoptable by CCN and ARL

Fostered by CCN, who reported medical concerns

Saved with round-the-clock medical care from ARL

Returned to CCN for foster until she finds her forever family

Here’s Piper’s story:
Part 1: Abandoned and alone

We don’t know where little Piper came from. Most of my cat colonies are near apartment complexes. I often hear about cats and kittens tossed outside to fend for themselves when their owners moved. So Piper’s journey may have started there.

But we do know that she spent at least a few desperate weeks searching for food and warmth with an urban cat colony surviving by hiding from predators and humans, dodging cars, and staying warm in underground sewers.

She was lucky to have found Geoff’s feeding spot.

Every afternoon for eight years, 77yo Geoff feeds the community cats behind a dumpster at his apartment complex. Geoff loves these cats.

Around Thanksgiving, he noticed a few kittens, so we agreed they should be our top trapping priority.

That first week in December was brutally cold – overnight wind chills in Iowa hit -6 degrees. So I wanted to catch the little ones who were unlikely to have enough winter fur or body mass to survive. Early evening on Sunday, December 1, I set my traps and spent hours watching and waiting for kittens to show up. And finally… success!

Part 2: Learning to trust

I rarely hold TNR cats more than 48 hours. But because it was so cold, I gave the 2 trapped kittens a few extra days of warmth in a large basement kennel. The spicy tabby “Cayenne” stayed hidden in the trap and never let me get close – typical feral cat behavior.

But Piper was curious. And really hungry.

I was surprised to see her watching me already the next day. She was quiet and nervous, but willing to be seen.

Their TNR surgeries were scheduled for Tuesday. Everything went smoothly.

ARL of Iowa’s Operation Catsnip TNVR prog ram is led by the incredible Megan Wiedmann. Megan has been a long-time ally of CCN. In fact, she’s who originally suggested I start a nonprofit years ago.

It may have been the anesthesia wearing off, but Piper was so mellow afterward… she leaned into touches from my metal long-arm scratcher. So I reached in to the kennel cautiously… and magic happened!

Piper immediately melted. She loved head scratches, cheek strokes, chin rubs. She couldn’t get enough full body pets, even along her tail. By Wednesday, she was rolling over for belly and armpit scritches. With Thursday and Friday came head bonks and naps in my arms.

I finally released feral kitten Cayenne back to his colony home on Friday when temps warmed up. But I moved Piper to a bathroom to see how she’d do with more space.

Part 3: A big break

Piper continued to blossom. Instead of hiding, she greeted me asking for attention. She loved pets from my son and husband too. And instead of gorging on food like it was her last meal, she started leaving some in her dish – an amazing sign of trust.

I asked Megan if ARL would consider adopting out Piper. This is a HUGE ask… ARL is the largest animal organization in Iowa and handles municipal cases throughout the Des Moines metro. They are almost always at capacity. The last thing they need with limited resources is a community cat.

But after meeting with Piper and doing a thorough behavior assessment, they said YES! Megan agreed that her sweet, friendly personality made her a perfect adoption candidate. Which meant she got the full medical exam – feline leukemia testing, dewormer, flea treatment, (in addition to her previously-provided TNR vaccinations).

It also meant that Piper was officially our foster kitten!

ARL of Iowa’s TLC foster progra m is phenomenal. Led by a tirelessly enthusiastic team including Tristan Haag, who I’ve never seen back down from the most challenging cases.

Ten days after trapping her, Piper moved into a large kennel in my home office. She could observe the comings-and-goings of the household and see our 3 cats. Since her background was unknown, it was critical to prevent any direct interaction between cats. And we washed our hands after touching Piper (dozens of times a day).

That caution paid off when I started to see her decline.

She stopped eating and lost weight quickly. She vomited piles of the largest worms I’d ever seen – probably 2″ long! ARL’s foster specialist Tristan coordinated more dewormer medication.

I was terrified. Piper got so skinny. Throughout, she wanted nothing more than love and attention. On December 17, I dropped her off with the ARL veterinary team. I left the office in tears, certain I would not see her again.

Part 4: Holiday hope

The ARL medical team provided round-the-clock supportive care through the last two weeks of December, including over Christmas. Piper remained a trooper throughout and won over staff hearts with her affectionate nature.

On New Year’s Eve, I learned Piper was cleared to return to foster! I’ll pick her up tomorrow. And this time, no more cages! She’ll get to acclimate to a temporary home slowly, starting with one room and eventually getting to interact with our household cats.

I can’t wait to help her become used to living in a home with people and pets… so she’ll soon be ready for a forever home!

Piper is one lucky cat. So many people in our community got involved to give her a chance at the life she deserves.

At Cat Care Network, we’re so proud to be a small part of stories like Piper’s. We connect people who care about cats with service providers who can help.
January 1, 2025
Possum Pals

Cat Stories

Possum Pals

A cozy shelter led to an unexpected friendship.

by Holly KO

CCN Board President and “Crazy Cat Lady”

When I first met “Buddy Love” (before his post-neuter mellowing), he was street-tough and territorial. He and his sidekick “Little Girl” prowled the block and chased off people and other cats who crossed their path.

Desiree had fed them for years. She worried about them especially in winter, when temperatures dipped deep into negative degrees.

I won her trust by building a large insulated outdoor shelter. I hauled it over and set it up outside her apartment, unsure 1) if the cats would use it and 2) if it would be stolen or destroyed.

Happily, no one dared touch Desiree’s stuff. And the cats took to it immediately.

She called me a couple weeks later, laughing. She discovered a possum snuggling with the two tough cats inside the shelter. They hung out together through the winter, munching on cat food and staying cozy.

Years later, the three unlikely friends still pal around, sharing food, water, and housing. I haven’t gotten brave enough to pet the possum yet, but may just get around to it.

NAMES AND SOME DETAILS CHANGED FOR ANONYMITY.

January 1, 2025
“I’m a cat!” – Desiree’s story

Partner profile: Desiree

“I’m a cat! Meow!”

Desiree’s two street cats are her family.

Holly KO

CCN Board President and “Crazy Cat Lady”

Desiree is a single retiree living in a tough low-income housing community. She takes pride in fostering her “crazy old lady” reputation because other residents give her a wide berth.

Desiree is a single retiree living in a tough low-income housing community. She takes pride in fostering her “crazy old lady” reputation because other residents give her a wide berth.

She’s loud. She drinks. Clashes frequently with landlords. Been jailed for alleged assault.

We adore each other.

We come from very different worlds but our shared love of cats culminated in a ride-or-die friendship. On her good days, she’ll laugh and yell “Meow! I’m a cat!” On her hard days, she’ll say, “my cats are my people.”

Desiree’s cats, “Buddy Love” and “Little Girl” were my first TNR cats ever. Like Desiree, the two cats put up tough, intimidating fronts. She was the only one who could get close to them. They followed her everywhere, like little bodyguards.

After the spay/neuter surgeries, both cats mellowed out considerably. They still act like they own the neighborhood, but prefer to stick close to Desiree’s apartment. This winter, they’re even staying inside most nights, snuggled beside Desiree.

They’re perfect for each other.

NAMES AND SOME DETAILS CHANGED FOR ANONYMITY.

December 30, 2024