In the aftermath of a disastrous tornado that tore through Arkansas, a local rescue has been working relentlessly to rehabilitate the cats that fell victim to the tornado’s damage.
“We immediately stepped in to help, even though we already had 85 rescue cats in our care,” said Sarah Richardson, rescue coordinator for Community Cats of Central Arkansas.
The rescue took in 100+ injured cats, offered cat food and supplies to tornado victims, and provided temporary shelter to cats whose owners had lost their home.
“Within the first 24 hours, we took in 25+ bottle babies found under rubble,” said Sarah. “Many of them had to be tube fed, but thankfully, they’re stable now.”
One after another, more and more cats and kittens were uncovered as the community searched through the wreckage.
Another litter of kittens was found after someone heard them crying in a local park.
They were injured and soaking wet, stuck under a pile of debris.
Their emergency intake didn’t stop at kittens– adult and senior cats ranging from 6 months to 15 years old started pouring in.
“Our most critically injured cat, Tori, is at the vet and they’re trying to keep her stable,” said Sarah. “Her jaw was broken so badly that she can’t eat or drink. She’s been on an IV.”
Poor Tori was also found under tornado rubble, but she wasn’t as lucky as the other rescue cats.
Heavy debris traveling at high speeds damaged her body and left her needing emergency treatment.
Sarah is having to arrange surgeries with specialists from neighboring cities and states to help treat all the wounded cats.
“We’re not turning away any cats,” said Sarah. “But we’re running out of resources and pushing our limits.”
Community Cats of Central Arkansas is led by two women in rural Arkansas with a small network of volunteers.
“We now have over 140 cats in our care,” said Sarah. “We’re very grateful for the donations of formula milk and food, but we’re running out quickly. There are 140 hungry mouths to feed.”
They desperately need more volunteers, funds, and supplies to continue their life saving missions.
If you live in central Arkansas and would like to volunteer as a foster or transporter, please apply on their website.
If you’d like to donate towards medical treatment for a cat in critical condition, please donate through our Meow Mail program.
In exchange for your donation, you will be emailed an update on the cat(s) you helped support and how your donation benefited them.
If you’d like to donate food, formula, litter, or other supplies, you can send items directly to the rescue from their Amazon wishlist.
Lastly, please follow Sarah on Instagram and Community Cats of Central Arkansas on Facebook to see their tornado cats and more of their heartwarming rescue missions.