Physical Wellness

Animal Officials Remove 105 Cats from Cramped NY Apartment

By Makini Brice | Update Date: Apr 26, 2013 11:31 AM EDT

Animal control workers removed 105 cats from a woman's home in New Paltz, New York. A twelve-year-old child residing in the home was also removed from the apartment.

According to the Daily Freeman, officials were tipped off by the home's problem by a worker for Child Protective Services, who was at the home for an unrelated issue. In order to avoid further confrontation with CPS, the owner of the cats was reportedly cooperative and said that she realized that there was a problem. She says that she took in the stray cats with the intent of finding them homes.

Hudson Valley Your News Now reports that the twelve-year-old living in the home was removed from the tiny apartment. "The child itself was suffering from repeated lung issues, that's how the complaint initially came to CPS...I have never seen that many cats in that small of a place, honestly," Adam Saunders, an animal cruelty investigator, said. "For cats in particular, the ammonia content in their urine is very high and when you have that in a high concentration and a closed environment such as a small apartment is can affect respiratory condition." It is not clear what will occur for the child residing in the apartment.

According to Mid Hudson News, it took animal officials three hours in order to round up all the cats, to cage them and to assess their medical conditions. The cats, which ranged in age from newborns to several years old, did not appear to suffer from any adverse health effects as a result of their stay in the home. Many of the cats were pregnant as well. Many did suffer from some mild respiratory and intestinal illnesses, however, a result of their residence in such cramped quarters. Saunders said that the cats spent the entirety of their time in the apartment, without so much as a window open for air.

The area's SPCA is working on spaying and neutering the cats, Saugerties Post Star reports. They say that they will be available for adoption in seven to 10 days. Currently, their arrival at their local animal shelter has virtually doubled the population of cats.

In a similar case, NBC New York reports that police discovered about 100 cats living in a condemned home in Long Island.

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