Canadian Man Calls For Help After Home is Overrun With 66 Cats

January 15, 2016

A Canadian man was forced to call for help when his house was overrun with 66 cats.

In November, the Nova Scotia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) received a phone call for help when a man living near Yarmouth was overwhelmed by cats in his home.

According to Jo Anne Landsburg, the agency’s chief provincial inspector, the man, “who obviously loved cats,” took a few in to care for. The catch was that he didn’t take them to the vet to have them spayed and neutered.

The handful of cats soon multiplied to a few dozen until 66 felines occupied his humble abode. Landsburg told the Huffington Post Canada that he realized he was in over his head and called the SPCA:

“The owner became overwhelmed and unable to care for the cats so he called us.”

When officials from the SPCA arrived at the home they were confronted with a swarm of cats. Many were infested with lice, were underfed and needed extensive dental work, reported CBC News. A handful of the cats were so malnourished that they had to wait in kennels for weeks to gain weight before their surgical operations.

For the past few months the SPCA has worked with the man to prep the animals for adoption. The charity footed a $26,400 bill for the expense of medical procedures. That tab excludes the cost of housing and food for the cats. Each cat will cost the charity about $400 per surgery. The SPCA will receive $160 per adoption in return.

The man will not be charged with animal cruelty, according to Landsburg. She told Huffington Post Canada:

“This was not presented to us as a cruelty case.

He wanted to do right by the cats and realized he was in over his head. There was no intent to do harm.”

These situations are not unique. Last fall the SPCA handled four different cases of 30 cats in homes. Landsburg told CBC:

“Hoarding cases such as this happen all too often in Nova Scotia, but it is important for the person to come forward and work with us.”

As for this case, the good news is a number of the cats are already ready for adoption. The agency’s chief inspector added:

“They are waiting to meet their new families and make their way to their forever homes.”

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