47 cats rescued from local hoarding situation need adopters and foster homes

From Orange County Animal Services

Orange County Animal Services officers impounded a total of 47 cats last week from a single manufactured home in the Conway area. The homeowner stated he brought a few neighborhood cats into his home prior to a recent hurricane for their safety, and the number quickly grew out of hand. Orange County Animal Services is seeking community support in finding placement for these cats, looking for both adopters and foster parents.

“This began with an act of concern for these cats, with the resident bringing a few of them inside,” said Diane Summers, manager for Orange County Animal Services. “This is an example of how quickly animals can multiply when they are intact and housed together. This is the exact type of situation that can be mitigated by spay and neuter, which we strongly promote. We hope that anyone seeing this that may be in a similar situation can take heed and seek out assistance now.”

The cats were impounded at Orange County Animal Services where dozens are now available for adoption. Most are in good health, with some displaying varying degrees of upper respiratory infections, which will require treatment. Some cats in the group are friendly and outgoing, while most are fearful in the new environment and will take time to decompress.

“Right now these cats’ lives have been upended,” said Summers. “They’ve been captured and removed from the only home most of them have ever known and are now in the shelter environment. Our goal is to get them back into a home setting as quickly as possible, through adoption and foster care.”

Animal Services welcomes those interested in adopting the cats to visit the shelter, with an appointment. Many of the cats will be made available for virtual adoption in the following days. Those interested in becoming a foster parent to help the kittens associated with this case are invited to begin the registration process.