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Stories From Main Street: Dozens Of Cats Rescued From Hoarder House In Need Of Homes

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The New Rochelle Humane Society is trying to find homes for dozens of cats and kittens that were rescued from a hoarder house in Westchester.

The group says they rescued 62 cats with the help of Greenburg police from a dilapidated, junk-filled house back in May.

"This is probably the biggest hoarding situation that we've worked on as a shelter," Dana Rocco with the New Rochelle Humane Society told WCBS 880's Sean Adams. "They were all kept in tiny cages, confined -- in most situations, they were kept two to three cats confined in a small cage. They were kept in one small room of the house which was kept pretty much dark."

New Rochelle Humane Society Cat
One of the cats available for adoption at the New Rochelle Humane Society. (credit: New Rochelle Humane Society)

The woman who hoarded the cats actually started fostering the animals and rescuing strays, but things got out of hand, Rocco said.

Stories From Main Street

"Many situations such as this, it becomes really a mental problem on the person's part," Rocco said.

She said the cats came into the shelter terrified, but have spent the last few months being nursed back to health.

"They're responding by leaps and bounds. They're running around and playing and purring," she said. "Just enjoying being a cat and being able to move around freely."

Rocco said several dozen cats still need a home.

"We want to move them to next step," she said. "They are ready to go into homes and continue the rest of their lives."

New Rochelle Humane Society Cat
One of the cats available for adoption at the New Rochelle Humane Society. (credit: New Rochelle Humane Society)

If you can't adopt, the shelter is also in need of donations for medical care and food.

For more information, visit www.newrochellehumanesociety.org.

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