September 13, 2024 Back Home

6,000 Cats & Counting: SPCA of Texas Helps Fly Cats to Forever Homes

Lucca, a scrappy kitten with a larger-than-life personality, has officially become part of cat adoption history!

Thanks to a bit of luck, the dedication of an amazing team at the SPCA of Texas, Lucca overcame incredible odds and found himself on an incredible journey toward a new home.

So, because we’re big fans of the SPCA of Texas — a GiveLitter® Shelter Partner — and we just can’t help ourselves when we see amazing news like this, we decided to shine a litter spotlight on the story.

Helping Cats Take Flight

SPCA of Texas regularly coordinates flights to the Northeast to help manage the overwhelming number of cats and kittens coming from Texas.

For those unfamiliar, Texas has a year-round kitten season due to its warmer climate, resulting in overcrowded shelters. Through this partnership, cats and kittens are given the opportunity to start new lives in the New England region, where the need for cats is higher, and shelters can accommodate them.

With year-round kitten season making things incredibly hard on shelters, these transports give felines a second chance by relocating them to the New England area, where more people are eager to adopt. Each flight is no small feat—typically carrying 100+ cats eager for new homes.

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Recently, the shelter celebrated a major milestone: their 6,000th cat transported through this life-saving program.

So now that you know the background, check out this adorably amazing story of Lucca.

Lucca — A Very Special Little Dude

Lucca, the honored 6,000th traveler, has a story of true resilience.

He arrived at SPCA of Texas with a severe prolapsed rectum, a condition that required urgent medical intervention. After enduring multiple more surgeries, the

Rather than giving up, the team opted for a final exploratory surgery to investigate the issue.

In this last-ditch effort, the vet discovered that part of Lucca’s colon had died from previous stitching attempts. They swiftly removed the dead colon tissue, completed the repair, and gave Lucca a new lease on life.

Once fully recovered and full of spunk, Lucca was ready to embark on his next adventure — a new home. The lucky little guy ended up on a flight bound of Boston, along with 83 other feline friends, where each got a fresh chance at finding their forever homes thanks to MSPCA Angell (also a GiveLitter® partner).