'Steel' the cat flies more than 7,000 miles to receive care at Austin Pets Alive!

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Pets Alive! welcomed a special client on Tuesday. 

"Steel" the cat traveled from Kuwait to Washington D.C. to Central Texas after she was taken in after being hit by a car.

"We try to find them homes locally where we can, and then sometimes we also fly them out to the United States to find homes for them," said Shannon Ross, who works as the political counsel for the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait.

Unrelated to her day job, Ross has a passion for rescuing animals in need. She works closely with rescue organizations in Kuwait and the U.S. and said she has probably helped get 60 to 70 cats and dogs out of Kuwait and into U.S. shelters. 

"There are a lot of places in the world and in much of the Middle East, unfortunately, where you don't really have a well-developed system of government-sponsored shelters and so forth," said Ross. 

She also noted that since the pandemic, there’s been kind of a "worldwide crisis" in the animal rescue sector. And because of Steel’s medical issues, Ross faced an added challenge.

One of Steel’s legs had to be amputated after she was hit by the car. She also has a hernia that may need to be surgically removed, and she is urinary incontinent, which means she does not have complete control of her bladder.

Because of that, Ross thought she should go to a warm climate where she could be a year-round, outdoor cat. 

"I wrote over 20 groups throughout the southeast and southwest and Austin Pets Alive! were the only ones who were willing to talk to me about taking her," said Ross.

That was back in 2021. After some delays, Steel was finally able to board a flight to Austin this week.

While APA! traditionally focuses on serving Central Texas, staff realized Steel’s options were limited.

"The incontinence and support team we have here is almost one of a kind," said Dr. Morgan Siewert, a veterinarian at APA! "A lot of these animals would be euthanized elsewhere." 

Steel will be in the care of staff at APA! until she is fostered or adopted. 

This week, specifically, APA! is asking the community to temporarily foster any of the animals in their care, including Steel. They are hoping to get as many animals out of the shelter as they can by Thursday ahead of the anticipated drop in temperatures.

"Even if it’s just to help us get through this period, the holidays are tough, the cold is really tough," said Kelly Holt, senior program manager of APA!’s cat program. "It’s particularly tough to find homes for some of our animals with medical needs, like Steel, but there are people out there who can do it, and we’re looking for all of those people to come and offer their support."

If you’d like to temporarily foster, stop by the Town Lake Animal Center on Thursday between noon and 6 p.m. As of Wednesday morning, roughly 50 dogs still needed to be placed in temporary homes.

If you'd like to provide a monetary donation or supplies, click here for more information on APA!’s needs.