MONROE, MI – A nonprofit animal shelter in Monroe rescued 33 cats from a house after a postman discovered several cats on the roof of what appeared to be an abandoned house.
Friends of Companion Animals, Monroe’s only cat rescue and adoption center, announced Tuesday March 16 that it recently rescued cats of various ages and health conditions from a single home. The organization is working to adopt as many as possible.
In January, a postman on his route in downtown Monroe spotted several cats on the roof of the seemingly abandoned house and called Monroe County Animal Control, referring the carrier to the nonprofit shelter, said Penny Bly, director of the FOCA shelter.
Volunteers at the shelter coordinated with the owner of the home, who no longer lived in the residence, and rescued a total of 33 cats from the home over the course of several months, Bly said.
No criminal charges were filed in the case, which is still under investigation.
“As you can imagine, some of these cats require serious medical attention,” Bly said. “Two cats appear to have a genetic mutation where their front claws grow abnormally so they need a claw to relieve their pain. While another required a partial tail amputation due to exposed bone. “
Bly added that several other cats suffer from visual disturbances, upper respiratory tract infections, and other diseases that are common in a colony of cats that are left without medical treatment.
Bly stated that this was the largest cat rescue the group has conducted since its inception in 2011.
“This case is a great example of how fast cats can reproduce and why we emphasize the importance of spaying and neutering pets, including outdoor wild cats, to alleviate unnecessary suffering,” she said.
Two of the cats have already been taken into loving homes, although around 10 or 12 of the cats rescued are likely to be unable to be adopted because they have had no human contact in their entire lives, Bly said.
These cats will be candidates for the shelter’s stable cat program, where they will be placed in rural families with barns, garages, or stalls where they can live outdoors while they are still being cared for.
Animals that become available for adoption can be viewed on the shelter’s website at friendsofcompanionanimals.org or on the shelter’s Facebook page.
Cats can be seen in person by visiting the animal shelter at 2532 N. Dixie Highway in Monroe.
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