BALTIMORE (WJZ) – More than 130 cats were removed from a home in Baltimore on Tuesday in an apparent hoarding case.
Baltimore City animal welfare officials visited the row house in Mt. Clare in response to a tip-off from a neighbor who was concerned about the number of cats living there, according to the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter.
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Based on the neighbour’s tip, the authorities expected to find around 90 cats in the house. Instead, they found that the residents with 133 cats lived in what BARCS described as “out of control”.
“It was a very overwhelming situation,” said Bailey Deacon, Director of Community Engagement at BARCS. “The condition of the house was overwhelming. The owners were overwhelmed. “
After talking to the homeowners, the animal welfare officers and the shelter staff agreed that it would be best to remove the cats and bring them to the BARCS Animal Shelter.
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“Trying to provide enough litter boxes and clean space for 133 cats is impossible in a space as small as the townhouse,” said Deacon.
However, according to BARCS, the health and temperament of rescued cats are expected by many to require “comprehensive medical care”. Fortunately, none of the cats had died.
“A lot of the cats have eye infections that have gotten quite extensive where their eyes need to be removed,” Deacon said. “We had some cats that were already missing an eye.”
With the shelter caring for 247 cats prior to the discovery on Tuesday, BARCs is asking the public for donations to provide the cats with medical care, food and shelter.
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