Rescued moggies seek loving homes

THE hunt is on to find loving homes for 37 cats rescued from horrific living conditions by RSPCA Tasmania.

The felines, aged between six months and eight, were found living indoors with no kitty litter.

RSPCA marketing and fundraising manager Melanie Knight said the cats were well fed but there were clear signs of inbreeding and several cats had the flu.

“The owner, from the state’s north, was animal hoarding as a result of a mental health issue,” she said.

“Animal hoarding is quite a significant problem in Tasmania and is more common than people realise.

“One pair of cats can produce up to 30 kittens in two years, so it doesn’t take long for two cats to turn into 37.

“Quite a few had teeth issues and had to have extractions and dentals. We also had to treat quite a few for the flu but surprisingly none of the cats had feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).”

Ms Knight said the domestic short-haired cats were “extremely happy to see a litter tray” and were well socialised with each other.

“It was a very sad situation but it is sorted and now our main focus is to find these cats loving homes,” she said.

“They have really beautiful fur patterns and have been desexed, vaccinated, wormed and microchipped.”

In June last year, the RSPCA rescued two dozen emaciated cats from a car in southern Tasmania. They had been there for four days before the alarm was raised by a concerned member of the public.

RSPCA inspectors gained access to the car with the help of police to save the animals.

The Launceston Animal Care Centre is open Monday to Saturday. For more information go to www.adoptapet.com.au