Hoarding Case! MMCR To The Rescue!

On August 4, 2012, Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue confiscated 75 cats from Grosse Pointe Woods, MI.  39 cats were in the house and 36 cats were shut in the non-ventilated garage.

The outside temperature reached 95 degrees and the temperature inside the garage reached approximately 110 degrees. In looking at the outside of the garage, two legs and a tail were visible at the top of the garage door. A cat had been able to wedge itself there in order to cool off part of its body. In looking at this with Ms. Qu, she stated “That is how I got caught.”

Upon entering the two-car garage, the stench of urine and feces was overwhelming. Inspection revealed urine, feces, and dirt coating every surface. Cats were overhead in the rafters and tucked behind walls and debris. Further inspection revealed a kitten who was just hours old in the middle of the floor, covered in filth and barely moving. A second kitten of the same age was found; this one had deep puncture wounds from an attack from an adult cat. The legs of a third kitten were found; the rest had been eaten. Both kittens later died. None of the cats had been altered.  All of the cats were wild and completely untouchable.

The house itself had feces, litter, and old food throughout it. It was filled with household debris and clutter making it difficult to move around. The cats in the house were also unaltered and wild. Upon inspection, a litter of 4 week old kittens was found under a household mattress. Ms. Q was not aware of their existence.

Due to the dangerous nature of the situation, every cat had to be captured with a catch pole. This was a very stressful, laborious, and dangerous process for the volunteers of Mid-Michigan Cat Rescue. It was also highly stressful for the cats. The cats were running around the stifling garage, climbing the walls and clinging onto the rafters. As the temperature reached unbearable levels in the garage, cats were panting and were close to immediate collapse.  Two cats died after capture as a result of the culmination of years of captivity in awful conditions, heat exhaustion, and the stress of the capture.

The conditions of the garage were such that we had anticipated multiple bodies after a long hot summer, but found none. Female cats can have 2-3 litters per year; we should have found many more litters.  Ms. Quinn had been taking debris out of the garage prior to our arrival.

The physical condition of the cats was appalling. The cats were infested with hundreds of fleas; this produced severe anemia as evidenced by white gums. Many of the cats had open wounds on their faces and necks due to the constant itching. The cats’ internal parasite infestation was so severe that they were emaciated.  Several cats had large bald patches due to allergic reactions.

At the end of the day, as we were preparing to leave, Ms. Q commented to MMCR’s director “I’ll be in contact with you again after I have re-stocked.”