Texas Cleanup Crew Opens A Flooded Stove, And What Jumps Out Leaves Them Stunned

After massive floods tore through Kerrville, Texas, the local rescue Kerrville Pets Alive! was working around the clock.

The storm had destroyed homes, scattered belongings, and left countless animals missing or worse. Every new call brought heartbreak. But one stood out.

A cleanup crew had been going through the wreckage of a badly damaged house, pulling apart what little remained.

When they opened the door of an old stove, they expected to find debris. Instead, a terrified cat suddenly jumped out.

At first, he didn’t run. He just froze, crouched on the porch, trembling and too weak to make a move.

The crew called Kerrville Pets Alive! and waited with the cat until help arrived.

For Karen Guerriero, cofounder of the rescue, the call didn’t sound real at first. A cat inside a stove?

After everything she had already seen in the aftermath of the floods, this was something she had never imagined. She shared in an interview:

“At first, I was emotional, then I was elated. We lost so many animals because of the floods. This cat was alive and needed help.”

No one can say for sure how he ended up inside the stove. Karen had a guess:

“Maybe when the flood rushed through the house, somehow the water opened the oven door, then it closed back up, and he got stuck inside?”

The house itself was unrecognizable. Everything had been tossed around by the raging water. Nothing really made sense. But one thing did: this cat’s will to survive.

The rescue team brought him to Freeman-Fritts Vet Clinic & Shelter and called Dr. Shelby Key, even though it was late.

The second she heard “cat found in stove,” her stomach dropped. She braced for the worst as she rushed to meet them.

What she found was heartbreaking but also hopeful.

The cat was frail, dehydrated, and had burns on his little legs. His skin and fur were still coated with residue from the floodwaters.

He had clearly been through so much, but there was still a spark in his eyes, as Dr. Key explained:

“He was weak, very scared, but mentally in much better shape than I expected. He had lost a ton of weight, was very dehydrated, had burns on his legs, and you could tell that he had been in the water; there was residue on his skin and fur.”

Treatment began immediately: fluids, medicine, and a safe, quiet space. When Dr. Key offered him a snack, he gobbled it up without hesitation, as if it had been forever since his last meal.

That one small act showed everyone that he wasn’t giving up. He wanted to live.

The team named him Easy Bake. A little dark humor, sure, but in the middle of heartbreak, the rescuers needed a reason to laugh.

Easy Bake is an older boy with a grumpy face that makes him look like a cranky grandpa. He’s still recovering, but he’s safe now, and Karen hopes that his family may still come forward.

For those who can’t yet reclaim their pets, Kerrville Pets Alive! is offering free boarding because sometimes, helping animals is also the best way to help people too.

Easy Bake shows just how resilient cats are. And with a little luck, he will get the second chance he deserves.