The B.C. SPCA is caring for 20 cats that were living in filthy conditions in a home in Delta.
The 18 adults and two kittens were seized by animal protection officers on March 7 after an investigation into neglect.
“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,” said SPCA senior protection officer Eileen Drever in a news release on Tuesday.
“The litter boxes were overflowing and the few pieces of furniture in the home were soaked in urine.”
One of the two kittens seized from unsanitary conditions in a Delta home.
Drever said it was clear that the owners could no longer handle the burden of caring for the cats.
They were brought to an SPCA animal centre to be assessed.
“Thankfully, by removing the cats from the environment we relieved a lot of their distress, but they all smelled strongly of urine,” said Drever. Four had to be treated by a veterinarian at a nearby clinic.
“One of the cats has diabetes, one had a cyst on their tail that had to be removed and one of the cats had a fever but has already responded well to antibiotics. Another cat required tooth extractions.”
Among four of the cats that required veterinary care, one had a large cyst on its tail.
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The kittens, which are still nursing from their mother but are starting to eat solid food, are healthy and have been placed with volunteer fosters.
The adults are showing surprising adaptability, said Drever. “Given what they have been through, the cats are very friendly. One of the cats has an adorable trait of ‘smiling’ when she meows.”
Drever said this is the second large seizure of cats so far this year, after 40 were surrendered to the SPCA in the Okanagan.
“This has been a busy start to the year for us in terms of the number of cats that have come into our care,” said Drever. “It puts a lot of pressure on animal centre staff to find volunteer fosters for all of these cats, not to mention the costs of veterinary care, food and enrichment.”
Drever said the SPCA is not recommending charges in this case.
She said it’s not known yet when the cats and kittens will be up for adoption. In the meantime, anyone who can help by donating to animal care is asked to visit spca.bc.ca.
One of two kittens seized from a Delta home.
One of 20 cats and kittens seized recently from a filthy Delta home.
The mother cat with her two kittens.
