Are you one of the more than 40 million online followers of SB Mowing on YouTube? If so, you might have played a huge role in adding a medical wing to a Wichita, KS., cat sanctuary.  The story behind the SB Mowing Community Wellness Center all started with a gravely injured cat, a struggling sanctuary, and a young YouTuber with a popular business that helped save them both.

SB Mowing, the business created by Spencer (who prefers to keep his last name private), has captured the world’s attention with his viral videos showcasing the transformation of overgrown yards. Known for mowing people’s unruly lawns for free, Spencer has amassed an astounding three billion page views across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms. His videos, often sped-up to show dramatic before-and-after results, have become a soothing escape for many viewers.

Esbee the cat was rescued by Edgar and Ivy’s Cat Sanctuary. In turn, he helped rescue the business. Photo courtesy of the sanctuary

Spencer travels frequently to work in Texas and Florida during the winter. It was during one of these trips, in February, that he discovered a cat in dire straits while mowing an abandoned property in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The cat, covered in grass clippings, was unresponsive and in urgent need of help. “I knew something was wrong,” Spencer said. Despite his efforts to find a place to help the cat, Spencer faced numerous rejections and even received advice to leave the animal to die.

Fortunately, Edgar and Ivy’s Cat Sanctuary stepped in to rescue the cat. The Texas sanctuary owner Anissa Beal, who was an avid fan of SB Mowing, initially did not recognize Spencer. Beal said at first glance, she thought he was just a young man who found a cat. “I had no idea he could even give me $100,” Beal said, referring to the donation Spencer made for the cat’s treatment.

The cat, named SB by Spencer, has since become known as Esbee. Spencer, moved by the sanctuary’s mission, decided to launch a GoFundMe campaign to support their efforts. “I like to say we’re kind of a last-chance shelter, and we’ll take the cats no one else will,” Beal said.

We see horrible things, but as long as the kitten is alive, or the cat is alive, we have hope. We fight for them.”

Beal, who said she invests tens of thousands of dollars of her own money into the sanctuary each year, had been contemplating closing down because of financial struggles. She had prayed for a sign to keep going, never expecting Spencer to be the answer. The GoFundMe campaign exploded thanks to Spencer’s followers. It quickly raised nearly $200,000, with an additional $100,000 in private donations coming in, along with supplies from the sanctuary’s Amazon wish list being bought.

Edgar and Ivy’s Cat Sanctuary founder Anissa Beal with her boss, Esbee. Photo courtesy of the sanctuary

“People just went and bought everything on their wish list,” Spencer said. When Beal suggested naming the new medical center after Spencer, he requested that it be named for his followers instead.

It’s not because of me,” he said. “It’s because of the community that follows me.”

Esbee is now fully recovered and the new sanctuary pet cat. “We say, ‘Yes, sir,’ ‘No, sir.’ He does whatever he wants,” Beal said of Esbee. Thanks to the combined efforts of Spencer, his followers, and Esbee, more than 700 cats and kittens have been saved since Esbee’s rescue.

Spencer, who continues to receive requests for help, remains committed to spreading positivity. “There’s so much negativity in the world that to just spread the smallest bit of positivity is really good for people,” he said.

Source: The Wichita Eagle