MONMOUTH COUNTY – When 20 cats were left outside a shelter a month ago, the workers there wanted to know where they came from. Turns out there were 30 more cats living in an abandoned house.
Following up on leads and intuition, members of the Monmouth County SPCA found these cats living in “absolutely deplorable conditions in an unoccupied house.
“Every floor, counter, piece of furniture etc. was covered in urine and feces; the food was left for them on the floor in ripped bags and the water bowls were filthy,” MCSPCA members said. “These poor cats were living in such unimaginable conditions that our Animal Control Officers had to wear full Tyvek suits while recovering them.”
Originally, someone had left 20 cats in crates outside the shelter. There was a note stating they were from a sanctuary. What struck the workers was that they were all male and not fixed. So, employees figured, there must be an equal number of female ones somewhere.
Workers followed leads and tracked down the person who had dropped off the first 20. As it turns out, this person had also dropped off two large dogs in 2019.
All 50 of these cats will be spayed or neutered, chipped, vaccinated, and treated for any medical issues. They are scared and confused and will need some time to adjust before they are ready for adoption. Five of the original 20 have been adopted so far.
The MCSPCA asked that this is the time to come adopt other cats at the shelter to make room for these new ones while they are being treated. Donations to the shelter are also welcome. For more information, visit monmouthcountyspca.org
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office was given the information about the animals, so that they can investigate.
