Some of the 56 cats that were surrendered to the SPCA last week.
The B.C. SPCA says 56 cats were surrendered last week after they were found in overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions at a Greater Victoria home.
According to the B.C. SPCA’s Victoria branch, their officers were called to a property in Victoria where the cats lived and the couple living at the property surrendered the animals. The SPCA said many of the cats were suffering from dehydration and untreated medical conditions, such as upper respiratory and eye infections. Thirty of the cats require dental work. The animals range in age from a year old to age 14.
“Poor living conditions, really dirty animals,” branch manager Annie Prittie Bell said.
“They obviously have been somewhat poorly kept for, I’m not sure how long, but long enough that we’ve got urine and feces deep through the hair coats of some of them.”
In order to deal with the influx of cats, the Victoria SPCA transferred all other cats at its facility to other shelters. The shelter is still open but adoptions are closed so staff and volunteers can take care of the new cats.
The organization is now asking for the public’s help to deal with the medical costs.
“We’re probably looking at tens of thousands of dollars in medical costs for dental disease, particularly. Some will be tied to upper respiratory eye infections but mostly it’s going to be dental work,” branch manager Annie Prittie Bell said.
Prittie Bell said once the cats are treated, they will be placed into homes that are willing to accept indoor cats.
“We would like to start to place some of these guys as soon as possible,” Prittie Bell said.
“The sooner they can be with families they can learn to trust one on one, I think the better.”
Donations can be made to the SPCA online or in person at or in person at 3150 Napier Lane in Victoria.
Alexa Huffman
