Number of hoarded cats reduced to 27 from total of about 141
Cat rescue group officials say 141 cats were found in a home in Cox’s Cove. That is the most recent, and believed to be final tally, according to the rescue groups who answered the call for help from the woman who lives in the north shore of the Bay of Islands community.
Local cat rescue groups, in partnership with the NL West SPCA, went to the town expecting to deal with about 40 cats. Original estimates fell far short, growing to about 100 in the weeks that ensued. The woman — who has hidden from the media attention after she sought help — kept people from entering rooms with cats until recently, when the full extent of the problem was revealed.
Fortunately, animal rescue groups across the province helped the local organizations find permanent and foster homes or shelters for the felines. Now, there are 27 cats remaining in the unsanitary home where the woman and the cats live alone.
Janice Higgins of Scaredy Cat Rescue said all avenues of sheltering or adopting the remaining cats appear to be exhausted. She said the woman has been adamant about keeping four neutered males, but some days the number of cats she wants to keep rises to as high as 12. Higgins does not think she has the resources or means to adequately care for that many animals.
She said the rescue attempt needs to enter a Phase 2. She said there needs to be a “spay and neuter day” for the remaining cats. The home and animals also need to be sprayed for fleas. While the conditions have improved at the home, Higgins said they are still not ideal. She was at the home as recently as Boxing Day, and she said it appears the remaining cats are being fed and somewhat cared for. The males and females are being separated, but fighting remains an issue.
The next step remains up in the air, according to Higgins, as the groups await word from the town on what it plans to do about the situation. Questions about whether it will inter- vene, how many cats it will allow the women to keep and issues about the health and safety of the home remain. The town had been holding off on taking action after the rescue groups stepped in to assist.
Messages for Mayor Tony Oxford went unreturned again on Tuesday. The mayor has been critical of the media attention the situation has generated, refusing to answer questions.