Scores of cats rescued from Island home
It’s the worst animal hoarding case in years, shelter says
A Victoria animal shelter has removed 56 cats from a home in one of the worst animal hoarding cases it has seen in years.
The B.C. SPCA’s Victoria branch is providing medical care for the rescued cats, which were found covered in their own feces and urine.
“It’s pretty heart-breaking,” said branch manager Annie Prittie Bell. “It’s unusual for us to be bringing in such large numbers at one time. This is the largest I’ve ever seen in my four years here.”
Animal cruelty investigators received a report last week about more than 50 cats living in one home in Greater Victoria.
They found the cats living in crowded, smelly conditions, coated in urine and feces and some suffering from upper respiratory infections, eye infections and dental disease. “They were very dehydrated, very dirty, very thirsty,” Prittie Bell said.
The owner surrendered the cats, which were removed from the home over three days.
The cats are male and female ranging from a year old to in their teens.
Many were likely offspring of older cats which were not spayed or neutered, she said.
Prittie Bell said the shelter had to move its whole population of cats into shelters in Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley to make room for the influx.
Many of the cats are afraid of humans, Prittie Bell said, which is common when they haven’t spent time with people one-on-one. She said the cats are living in the shelter communally, because that’s what they’re used to, but they’ll eventually be separated into individual cages.
The healthier cats will be ready for adoption as soon as they are spayed and neutered, Prittie Bell said. At least 30 cats will need extensive dental work and medical care.
An animal cruelty investigation is ongoing so no details were available about the homeowner or the conditions of the home. The investigation will take into account any mental health issues that may have contributed to the hoarding, Prittie Bell said.