MOBILE, Alabama – A Mobile-area cat rescue is asking the community for help after an overnight refrigerator failure wiped out hundreds of dollars in vaccines and antibiotics used to care for the more than 100 cats currently in its charge.
The organization, which operates entirely on volunteer labor and receives no city, county, state or federal funding, discovered the loss when staff arrived to find the refrigerator that stored the group’s medical supplies had stopped working sometime overnight. Among the items lost were vaccinations against several common feline illnesses, including feline leukemia, rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia and chlamydia psittaci, all of which are considered standard care for cats and kittens moving through the rescue’s intake process.
Also destroyed were prescription antibiotics used to treat cats recovering from injury, surgery or illness. Because the rescue frequently takes in animals with pre-existing medical conditions, organizers said the antibiotics are a critical part of keeping newly arrived cats healthy while they wait for adoption.
The timing was especially difficult for one recent rescue: a cat named Admiral, pulled from a Mobile County animal shelter shortly before he was scheduled to be euthanized. Admiral arrived with a severe tail injury requiring ongoing treatment and antibiotics, some of which were among the medications lost when the refrigerator failed.
Volunteers with the group described the situation as urgent, noting that without replacement supplies, newly admitted cats and those recovering from medical procedures could go without necessary treatment. The rescue has cared for a steady stream of animals throughout the year, relying on adoption fees, private donations and fundraising drives to cover veterinary costs, since it does not receive any government support.
Organizers set up an online fundraiser seeking donations to cover the cost of replacing the ruined medications and are also directing supporters to the group’s Facebook page for updates on Admiral’s recovery and other cats currently available for adoption. The rescue can also be reached by phone for anyone interested in fostering, adopting or contributing supplies directly.
The refrigerator failure adds another financial strain to a rescue that already operates on a shoestring budget, and volunteers say community support has historically been the difference between keeping the facility running and having to turn away animals in need. With the holiday season underway, organizers expressed hope that Mobile-area residents would step up quickly so treatment for sick and injured cats would not be delayed.