A local animal nonprofit is looking for help after dozens of cats were rescued from a rental home in Kalkaska County.
TC Paw Cat Rescue in Traverse City said the animals were discovered over the Labor Day Weekend when temperatures were in the 90s.
The cats were were in poor health when they were brought in, but they all survived and are being cared for medically. But the organization said they need the public’s help.
38 cats were rescued from that home after the owner of the rental property went to the home to do repairs, officials said. He then contacted the Traverse City nonprofit dedicated to rescuing felines.
Lousie Kozan, the adoption coordinator of TC Paw Cat Rescue, was one of the first ones to see the conditions the cats were living in.
Kozan said the cats were crammed in cages, dehydrated, hungry, and some of them emaciated.
“Some were stuffed into carriers no bigger than themselves, and they had been there for several days when they were first discovered. And many of them or most of them were covered with tarps in extreme heat,” said Kozan.
Kozan said the conditions were far worse than they originally thought with more cats than originally thought. The numbers went from 14, to 29, to 38 at final count.
“We originally went over there to help get them into bigger cages and give them a covered shaded area where they would be safe. But when we saw the situation and the conditions that they were living under, we knew that we just could not leave them there,” said Kozan.
After about four trips with a trailer and two cars, they removed the cats and took them to a temporary space.
The ones that needed immediate medical care were treated but all will eventually be checked out, spade, neutered, and vaccinated.
Melissa Smith, the vice president of the nonprofit, said getting your animals fixed can help situations like this from happening.
“I think that does go back to the idea of not just the idea, the focus of Spay and neuter and why it’s important to prevent a situation From this, I mean, you’re seeing the same litter then multiplying and multiplying, and this could have been stopped way down the line. So, we wouldn’t have all of these animals that may have health conditions that need to be treated,” said Smith.
Jan Ross, a volunteer at TC Paw, said the real challenge will be finding them temporary homes.
For the new nonprofit, established this past spring, the number of cats is overwhelming.
“We are very grateful and are inspired by how this kind of thing, this urgent situation, brings the rescue community together. And I hope that individuals out there in our area find it also inspiring and will help us out. We can’t that we can’t keep that up. They have to go,” said Ross.
About 22 cats still need a temporary home. TC Paw Cat Rescue said they take care of all the necessities.
For more information on how to donate, or how to foster a cat, please click here.
