A property in Des Moines, Iowa, had a basement where more than 70 cats and kittens were living in misery. Eventually, the authorities were made aware of the hoarding issue, and their amazement was compounded when they entered the vile basement.
74 cats and kittens were removed from the residence by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa (ARL) Mobile Rescue Team, which took several hours. A large number of the cats were in serious need of medical attention. “Our vets are currently assessing each of the cats to establish their unique treatment plans,” said Tom Colvin, the ARL’s president and chief executive officer. The rescue of the remaining animals is still ongoing, and as in the past, we will not stop until every single cat has been saved — no matter how long it takes.”
The cats “were taken away with a warrant since our attempts to have them surrendered first were refused by the owner,” according to the rescue group that saved them.
The rescue crew returned to the residence and saved an additional three kittens, bringing the total number of kittens rescued to a grand total of 77.
ARL rescuers came to a horrible scene: cats were everywhere, even inside the walls of the building. Several cats had become dangerously sick and their red diarrhea had splattered the flooring. “It was obvious that a great deal of pain had taken place within that residence,” stated the rescue team.
We discovered days-old kittens with their umbilical cords still attached, 2 cats with leg deformities that were most likely caused by inbreeding, a large number of female cats who were most likely pregnant and several others who were suffering from life-threatening medical conditions as our team began to triage the cats at the scene.
Unfortunately, four of the cats did not make it. Veterinarians performed necropsies on the deceased cats and found some suffered from panleukopenia, a highly contagious viral disease that can be particularly deadly to kittens.
ARL said that “as a result, we have placed all of the cats and kittens from this case in isolation for two weeks while we monitor their health condition,” essentially closing down two rooms in the shelter for that time period.
“The rescued cats really like the hidey boxes, and they immediately began climbing in and on them as soon as we placed them in their kennels. They’ve been particularly helpful for the more nervous cats in the group as they’ve made the journey to their new home.
The toys have also shown to be effective in keeping the cats and kittens occupied and interested throughout their confinement. “Thank you so much for helping to provide additional comfort and enrichment for these kitties as they begin their new lives,” said Jessica Jorgenson, a shelter employee.
“The rescued cats really like the hidey boxes, and they immediately began climbing in and on them as soon as we placed them in their kennels. They’ve been particularly helpful for the more nervous cats in the group as they’ve made the journey to their new home. The toys have also shown to be effective in keeping the cats and kittens occupied and interested throughout their confinement. “Thank you so much for helping to provide additional comfort and enrichment for these kitties as they begin their new lives,” said Jessica Jorgenson, a shelter employee.
Because the cruelty case is still under investigation, the rescue can only confirm that the cats had been at the residence five days before the rescue team came to pick them up. They are unable to provide any information regarding how the cats came on the property or any other information about the property. We hope that the individual who committed the crime will be prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law.
In terms of the rescued cats and kittens, they will get all required medical care, will be spayed or neutered, and will be microchipped before being adopted into loving forever homes. Because to wonderful individuals like you, the kitties will only experience love from this day forward. Thank you for making this possible.