134 cats rescued from suspected Northern Colorado hoarding situations, adoptions encouraged

More than 130 cats have been saved from suspected hoarding situations in the past six weeks, putting an unexpected strain on NoCo Humane's resources.

Through NoCo Humane's Larimer County campus, dozens of kittens and cats are now being cared for while they recover and await adoption.

"So, in the past six weeks, we have taken in 134 cats from three separate suspected hoarding situations," said Scott Wendelberger, marketing and communications manager for NoCo Humane.

A few dozen of the cats came through a surrender, while another group was taken in following a suspected hoarding investigation.

"The first (group of kittens) was about 46 cats that came from a home where their owner had passed away," Wendelberger said.

Colorado law requires a permit for anyone to keep more than 15 cats or dogs at a single property.

The influx has required NoCo Humane to quickly accommodate a large number of animals while continuing to care for the rest of the animals already at the shelter.

"NoCo Humane is prepared and able to take in a large number of animals in such short notice like this. It does put a strain on our resources," Wendelberger said. "But our staff and volunteers step up, and we make it work."

Each cat is evaluated after arriving at the shelter, with some requiring more extensive medical care. One cat had its left eye surgically removed because of an infection linked to its previous living situation.

"So, in cases like these, it comes with significant and unplanned costs," Wendelberger said.

Wendelberger said NoCo Humane is accepting donations through its website to help offset the costs incurred from preparing the cats for adoption. 

Some of the animals also arrive needing basic care that may not have been consistently available where they previously lived.

"It is common that they come from unsanitary conditions. They come from an environment that does not have enough food or water for all of the cats, and so they're competing for resources," Wendelberger said.

More than 40 of the cats taken in through the recent cases have already been adopted. NoCo Humane is prepared to send adopted kittens and cats home with their new families as soon as the first day they meet them, in many situations.   

The cats are being treated and brought back to a healthy condition before they are made available for adoption. That means some of the animals are not yet ready to go home.

"A lot of our cats that are in foster care are kittens, so they just need to grow, gain that weight and grow old enough, so they can be ready for adoption," Wendelberger said.