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It's usually the smell that is the give away when it comes to cat hoarders. And it was indeed the smell that tipped neighbors off in Santa Ana last month to the home of the people who work with the Cat Connection Rescue Network Inc., the OC Register reports today. Inside the home were 110 cats, and two young children. Both the kids and the kitties were removed from the property in a five hour-long effort on February 8th.Local authorities attest that the smell and the condition inside the home necessitated they wear hazardous material suits to get the job done safely.
The cats were taken to the Orange County Animal shelter, and most were deemed to be in good health. Unfortunately, 17 of the cats had to be put down "because they were in poor health or were deemed feral or untouchable." The healthy cats have been made available for adoption, and so far, "73 cats have been adopted by private individuals or other rescue groups while 20, a lot of them black, wait for new homes." The children were taken into protective custody.
For those who work or volunteer in pet rescue, this case is considered a "wake-up call" to many, and sheds light on the issue of making sure people affiliated with pet rescue take proper care of their own animals. In this case, OC Animal Control Director Ryan Drabek, "suspects the tough economy caught up with the volunteer who amassed the cats."