Animal protection officers with the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) rescued 20 cats living in deplorable conditions at a home in Delta.
BC SPCA officers made the heartbreaking discovery while investigating possible animal neglect at the residence. Reports say the owner of the 20 felines — 18 adult cats and two kittens — could no longer keep up with the overwhelming responsibility of caring for the animals.
18 cats and 2 kittens rescued from British Columbia home
Eileen Drever, the BC SPCA’s Senior Officer for Protection and Stakeholder Relations, spoke to The Abbotsford News about the rescue. She said, “The cats were living in a home that had an overwhelming ammonia smell with piles of feces as high as five inches in some rooms.”
Drever further stated, “The litter boxes were overflowing and the few pieces of furniture in the home were soaked in urine.”
Animal protection officers transported the neglected cats to a BC SPCA animal center. There, they received medical evaluation. Some of the cats who required urgent medical attention were taken to a local veterinary clinic.
According to the BC SPCA, one feline suffered from diabetes. Another, meanwhile, had developed a cyst on their tail. A third cat had a fever. A fourth one needed to undergo tooth extractions.
In a BC SPCA news release, Drever shared the positive impact that the rescue had on the cats. In her words: “Thankfully by removing the cats from the environment we relieved a lot of their distress, but they all smelled strongly of urine.”
Fortunately, veterinarians confirmed the two kittens were in good health. At the moment, a BC SPCA volunteer is housing and caring for the kittens.
The BC SPCA said they won’t press any charges against the cats’ owner. Furthermore, the organization has not set an adoption timeline for the rescued cats.
