40 Cats Saved from Hoarding Situation
In March of 2021, we began intaking cats from a severe hoarding case. The owner had way too many cats, every one of them crammed into cages and crates and living life that way. We don’t have much history on how this came to be or why, but our sister rescues in Mexico have been rehabilitating and helping to nurse these cats back to health before they come to us, where they continue their journeys to forever homes.
We were shocked by the number of cats that were found in the situation. During the coronavirus pandemic, our biggest challenge has been crossing the US-Mexico border to help animals out of these situations. Each week, we’re only able to bring over about 6 cats at a time, driving hours each way to pick up and spending hours at the border waiting for entry. At times, transporters from our sister rescue are denied and have to try again another day.
One might ask, why not adopt them out in Mexico? Often times, cats will end up back in the streets, and few people adopt cats from rescues in Mexico. Because there are few adoptions, it’s also difficult to continue funding these operations, since healthcare, spay/neuter, and general care takes funding.
With cats all crammed into one place, it’s a miracle that many of these cats didn’t come with severe issues. Many were actually incredibly friendly towards people, though many weren’t used to life outside of a cage. Often, they were timid and weary but also eager to explore new places. Some had never interacted with other cats before, and given that they were in such a high-stress environment with so many cats, it’s been hard for some of them to adjust.
Dakota, the little Munchkin tuxedo, seemed like she had barely interacted with cats before. She would hit them when approached and feel defensive, but she’s been slowly learning to warm up to them.
Some cats like Mina, a tabby, require a lot of time and patience. She hides and enjoys her independence, but she’s slowly learning that cuddling and affection is available to her!
As we rescue more cats, their photos will appear below!
