AUSTIN, Texas — Ferallife Guards, an organization dedicated to cat rescue, tells the inspiring story of a community coming together to rescue a kitten stuck in a storm drain, and how this mission led to the rescue of an entire family of feral cats. I am sharing what led to this.
Through the power of trap-neuter-neuter (TNR), volunteers and local partners are providing life-saving care to homeless cats, but with major unforeseen challenges, we need the community’s help now more than ever .
The beginning of the rescue operation
Late last year, a kitten was found trapped in a storm drain in central Texas. Rachel Yedanapalli and Tiffany Haag, who had previously been in contact with Feral Life Guard, called the rescue organization for help. Laurie Frederick, founder of Ferallife Guards, personally went to the scene to help.
“Using technology, we set up remotely activated traps and cameras to monitor the situation,” Laurie Frederick said. “Our team thought there might be more than one kitten and started tracking the cats and kittens around storm drains.”
Soon, the rescue team discovered that there were actually five kittens in total. These all belonged to the mother cat who was seen nearby. Thanks to a community partnership with Tiffany and Rachel and their neighbors, Feral Life Guards were able to track down and rescue all five kittens.
full circle rescue
The mission didn’t end with the kitten. The researchers discovered that the mother cat and father cat, later named Hugh Mongus, were also part of the family.
Hugh Mongus was seriously injured and found to be infected. This is probably due to years of roaming around and fighting as an unneutered male cat. “His health was rough,” said Laurie. “We knew he needed urgent treatment, so we immediately made plans to capture and treat both the mother cat and Humongus.”
Feral Life Guards worked overnight shifts to first capture the mother cat and then capture Hugh Mongus. After several nights of long monitoring, they were able to capture him and take him to a partner veterinarian for treatment. “Hugh Mongus’ condition was much worse than we expected from the footage,” Laurie said. “He is currently receiving antibiotics and treatment at our charity headquarters until he heals before being neutered.”
Community efforts to help stray cats
This rescue story highlights the importance of community involvement in TNR operations. Volunteers from across Central Texas, including Rachel and Tiffany, helped feed and care for the cats to keep them healthy and strong. Ferallife Guards is completely volunteer-run and continues to support the cats with the help of generous donations from the public.
A new challenge: a new location is urgently needed
While the success of this rescue mission demonstrates the incredible impact of TNR, feral lifeguards face unexpected challenges. Due to a sudden change in the lease, Ferallife Guard must vacate its current location in just 90 days. The landlord has generously offered to donate the mobile office the organization currently rents, but there are still major hurdles. The organization now faces the challenge of finding a new location for the TNR spay/neuter clinic and a permanent space to operate.
“This news comes as a big surprise to our team and puts us in a very stressful situation,” Rowley said. “We are currently raising funds to cover the cost of relocating and securing permanent housing for Feral Life Guards. We are working hard to raise funds.”
Ferallife Guards estimates they need to raise at least $50,000 to cover relocation costs. That amount could increase to $100,000 if he can find permanent housing.
you can help
Ferallife Guards is partnering with local veterinarians and volunteers to ensure community cats continue to receive care, but we need your support to continue moving forward. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference in helping Feral Life Guard continue its work serving homeless cats in Central Texas. Click here to donate.
About Ferallife Guards
Ferallife Guards has been helping homeless cats in the area for over five years. Through their Trap Neuter Return (TNR) initiative, they humanely reduce the number of feral cats, improve the lives of local cats, and work to prevent further overpopulation. The organization is 100% volunteer-run and relies on donations to fund its rescue operations, spay/neuter clinic, and outreach programs.
For more information about Ferallife Guards, please visit our website www.ferallifeguards.com or follow us on Facebook @ferallifeguards.
