An animal rescue group in East Texas has shared the heart breaking events that left it with 22 abandoned cats on Christmas Eve.
Discovered at the side of the road, the cats had been dumped and left in two totes. Karen Budgell, founder of the All About Fixin trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) program stepped in to help the wet and lethargic felines suffering various health issues.
“On Christmas Eve, my dad was driving home and stopped to see if two women needed help on the side of the road,” Budgell told Newsweek. “The women explained that they had found totes full of cats dumped on their property. It was heartbreaking to see these 22 full-grown cats in such a deplorable state.”
The cats, malnourished and afflicted with fleas, mange, worms, and other health issues, were immediately taken under Budgell’s wing. She and her team worked to provide the felines with warmth, nourishment, and medical attention.
It took a few days for them to come out of hiding and feel safe. Once they did, they started grooming themselves, playing, and displaying affection. These cats were once loved, and it appears their caretaker might have passed away or left, leaving them with no option,” said Budgell.
Despite the challenges of her full-time engineering job and raising four children, Karen Budgell’s commitment to the welfare of these abandoned cats hasn’t wavered. And they’re even expecting more cats to care for very shortly.
“We’ve been able to get nine of them spayed or neutered and vaccinated so far. One little boy is on antibiotics and steroids due to severe mange, and a pregnant cat is expected to deliver her kittens any day now,” she said.
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Budgell posted about the rescue on the TikTok page @allaboutfixin where it has been viewed 9.4 million times and has over 41,000 comments.
“The cat distribution system has chosen you to be a regional distribution center,” said one commenter, while another TikTok viewer wrote: “I wanted to cry when you opened the boxes, all those scared faces. You were their angels.”
“Thank you for helping these babies,” agreed another.
For now, the cats are still under the care of the rescue where they are recovering and being vaccinated and neutered.
“We are looking for homes for them close to East Texas, and they should be ready for adoption in a few weeks,” Budgell said. “All cats will be fixed, vaccinated, and given a clean bill of health before going to their forever homes.”
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