Harrison Township, Michigan - A desperate cat owner from the small town of Harrison Township went to an animal welfare agency to surrender his 84 kitties. But how did things get to that point?
The pet owner never expected to have to give up his cats – but in the end, his situation simply got the better of him.
"When the number of pets in a home grows beyond what can be realistically managed, it can quickly become difficult for both the animals and their caregivers," Macomb County Animal Control wrote in a Facebook post about the unusual case.
That's why the owner decided to give up his beloved pets and turned to the local animal authority for help
Jeff Randazzo, head of Macomb County, emphasized on social media that such a decision was the right thing to do – even if it was difficult.
The cat lover openly admitted to the relevant authorities that he had been completely overwhelmed with all his pets.
Animal welfare did not hesitate for long and shortly afterwards launched a "large-scale" rescue operation. When the helpers arrived at the cat house, they discovered numerous pregnant and nursing felines.
Neighbor of the cat owner could hardly believe his eyes
After hours of rescuing all the cats, their medical care followed, including "vaccinations, snap testing, fecal testing, and flea prevention."
Paul Cote, the cat owner's neighbor, could hardly believe his eyes when the rescue workers came out of the house one by one with several transport crates.
"All of a sudden, she was bringing out cat crates; we saw about eight of them. I think it's sick," Cote told WXYZ, adding that although he knew his neighbor's property was home to many felines, he was not aware of such a large number.
"I knew she had a couple cats, that was it, then all of a sudden, then they start coming in bringing the crates out."
Many of the rescued animals were only about 6-7 weeks old, explained Rachel Parr, an employee of the animal welfare organization.
"It's so sad because a lot of these animals, they can pass away in situations like that, they can get infected, they're not eating enough," she added.