MONROE, Mich. – Officials rescued 33 cats from what appeared to be an abandoned home in Monroe after a mail carrier noticed some of them on the roof.
Penny Bly, the shelter director of Friends of Companion Animals, said a mail carrier called Monroe County Animal Control after seeing cats on the roof of the home.
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“Animal control instructed the mail carrier to contact us and after coordinating with MCAC regarding who will take the lead in this endeavor, FOCA volunteers jumped into action and secured the first initial batch of cats, which included seven felines,” Bly said.
The property owner first said there were about 15 cats at the home, but then clarified that it was probably closer to 30 cats, according to Bly. In total, 33 cats were rescued from the home and are being held at the Friends of Companion Animals location in Monroe.
She said this was the largest rescue the nonprofit organization has faced in his history, dating back to 2011.
“As you would imagine, a number of these felines require serious medical attention,” Bly said. “For example, two felines appear to have a genetic mutation where their front claws are growing abnormally so they will require a declaw to alleviate their pain. While another required a partial tail amputation due to exposed bone. Others are battling vision issues, upper respiratory infections, and other ailments you see often with colony cats who are left without medical treatment.”
She said she doesn’t know what might happen to the property owner.
“FOCA’s main priority from the start is caring for the cats,” Bly said. “We need to make sure that they are taken care of medically, and then for those who are friendly, we want them in loving homes. For those who might not be that friendly, because of lack of human interaction, we will place them in our barn cat program so they too can have an enjoyable life.”
Anyone who wants to donate to help these cats can click here to visit the Friends of Companion Animals website.
“Now that the cats are secure, the second and third legs begin, which include medical care and fundraising, respectively,” Bly said. “We already have the medical appointments, so now it’s just a matter of generating the funds to cover those procedures.”