JCAPL to the Rescue

The members of the JCAPL cat team were made aware of a cat hoarder situation on Valentine's Day. A family had “a few” cats that they needed help with. They had gotten a little overwhelmed and could not take care of them anymore. We made arrangements to go and evaluate the cats in question.

We first visited the home on February 20th. When we arrived, we were in total shock, to say the least. The smell was almost more than you could bare. Upon entry into the house, we were met with approximately 70 pairs of gorgeous, green eyes. Black cats with tails, black cats without tails and black cats with bobbed tails as far as the eye could see. The living conditions of these cats is not explainable or comprehendible. You had to see it in order to believe it. They lived in a tiny 5 room house along with 6 humans. There was cat feces and urine on the floor, the furniture, the walls and the counter. The urine soaked couch put off an odor so strong, you could not be in the house for more than a couple of minutes before becoming nauseated. There were cats on the couch, in the couch, under the couch, on the beds, in the box springs, under the beds, behind the entertainment center, on top of the refrigerator, behind the refrigerator, on the table, stove and counters, and yes, they were even coming out of the cabinets, literally. Most of them appeared to be very sweet but very scared, as they had not had human contact with anyone other than the residents of the house. We went through the house, and found even more cats. One very pregnant female and one female who had given birth 2 weeks prior to our visit. She had already lost 2 of her kittens due to the high ammonia odor in the house. We decided right then to remove 11 kittens that were about 3 months old, and the mother and her 2 week old kittens. Once out of that environment, the mom and all of the kittens perked up and looked at us almost as if to say “Thank you so much for helping us.”

We found foster homes for those pulled on that day and decided to go back at a later time. On our next visit, the other female had given birth to her babies: 5 total, but unfortunately, 1 had already passed. We immediately removed her and her babies as well and found a foster home for her.

We pulled our resources and contacted several other rescues, both in and out of state. We managed to find placement for 27 others. We pulled those out on February 27th. Having exhausted almost all of our resources, the Wake County SPCA and Raleigh Animal Control stepped in and on March 3rd, they went in and pulled the remaining cats.

A total of 47 cats were rescued and placed into temporary foster homes thanks to the efforts of caring, hardworking volunteers JCAPL and other rescue groups. They will receive any medical attention needed, be spayed and neutered, and vaccinated , so they can become valued members of a deserving family seeking a very special addition to their family. To date, all are doing well, thriving and enjoying much needed and deserved one on one attention, while in foster care, waiting for just the right family to come along.

I would like to commend these individuals for having the courage to come forward and ask for our help. We took a situation that could have been much worse within 6 months, and put a stop to it. Cat hoarding is an illness and until we can come up with the resources necessary to help people in need, be it a statewide free spay/neuter day, or something similar, we will never be on top of the pet population. We are fighting a never ending battle with countless numbers of unwanted kittens and puppies placed at risk for euthanasia. Be aware of your surroundings. If you notice someone that might need help, do not be the one that turns your head; contact the proper authorities and make them aware of the situation. Public knowledge is a vastly wasted commodity when it comes to the welfare of these innocent animals.

A VERY special “Thank you” to Safe Haven, Tailless Cat Rescue, Snowflake Rescue, Alley Cats and Angels, the Northern Virginia Animal League and Prince William/Raleigh County Animal Rescue for all of their help and support in finding new forever homes for these wonderful, deserving cats and kittens. Without the assistance from these groups, we would not have been able to make this rescue effort happen. Thanks to Lisa Abbe for giving her time and enduring a few scratches along the way, too, and to Lynda Buchanan, for offering her home as an overnight Bed and Breakfast for these babies while awaiting transport. A special thank you to a “retired” member of JCAPL for not knowing how to retire and once again opening up her heart and her home to several new feline friends, and to Dr. Kelli Ferris, for her help and guidance throughout this whole ordeal.

-Becky Hochman, JCAPL Cat Foster/Adoption Coordinator

More pictures are coming. Please stay tuned!