Man Shocked to Discover Nearly 80 Abandoned Cats in House He Bought in Minnesota
A handyman in Coon Rapids, Minnesota had plans to flip a foreclosed house he purchased only to discovers dozens of cats inside.
Nearly 80 cats were found cramped and living in filth, with some of the cats deceased.
CBS News reports that SNAPTs Cat Rescue is one of the rescue organizations helping with the cats. One of their fosters is temporarily holding 51 cats inside their Blaine heated garage until they get medical care and can be placed with fosters or adopters.
The Facebook post reads, "Today was a tough day but also a day that I hope saved a lot of kitties. Through a friend on FB, we found out about a foreclosed home that was abandoned with cats still there. It was so incredibly sad, it was like nothing I could have ever imagined, worse than anything on TV. "
Related: Senior Florida Dog Rescued From Hoarding Situation Wants So Badly to Trust
"The outpour of community help has just been insane," SNAP'T founder Sonja Larson said.
The cats are scattered over several different rescues. Some are looking for foster or forever families as well as donations to support their rescue efforts.
Rescues like these do so much amazing work and they rely on donations from the public so they can help as many animals as possible. I can't imagine how heartbreaking this situation is for everyone involved.
The Humane Society said it has taken in 342 animals from investigation cases like this just since the year started, which is almost a year's worth of animals in just two months.
Why Do People Hoard Animals?
The National Library of Medicine defines an animal hoarder as someone who has accumulated a large number of animals and who: 1) fails to provide minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, and veterinary care; 2) fails to act on the deteriorating condition of the animals (including disease, starvation or death) and the environment (severe overcrowding, extremely unsanitary conditions); and often, 3) is unaware of the negative effects of the collection on their own health and well-being and on that of other family members.
There are many complex reasons someone may choose to obtain more animals than they can logically care for, and these can range from loneliness and feelings of isolation, to feeling like they are helping the animals by bringing them in, to various mental illnesses.
According to the Animal Humane Society, up to a quarter million animals — 250,000 per year — are victims of hoarding.
The AHS also states that "Remember that hoarding is almost always linked to mental illness, not intentional cruelty. Approach potential hoarders with empathy and compassion, rather than judgment. The most effective interventions require strong support from family, friends, and the community.
Owning multiple animals doesn't mean that someone is a hoarder of animals, but if you suspect animal hoarding, contact your local police department or animal control department.
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