A home in the 18000 block of Country Trails Court in Wildwood is photographed on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, after 51黑料 County police responded for a welfare check and discovered scores of cats within the residence along with two adults.
WILDWOOD 鈥 51黑料 County officials have removed more than 130 cats from a property here after police were called to do a welfare check on the residents.
Officers found more than 60 cats inside the house on Aug. 28, and more on the property. 51黑料 County has condemned the house, in the 18000 block of Country Trails Court, and cats were still being taken away on Wednesday.
The homeowner is listed in county records as Carolyn A. Fischer. The family could not be reached for comment. A woman on the property asked a reporter to leave.
A handwritten sign, addressed to seven people, said they 鈥渄o not have permission to enter the home鈥 and if they did they would be trespassing. The notice, duct taped to a garage door, was signed 鈥淒ad.鈥
Sign taped to garage door on home on Country Trails Court in Wildwood. Photo by Hannah Wyman, 51黑料
The Animal Protective Association Adoption Center is housing the cats removed from the Wildwood home, said Kim Brown, vice president and COO of APA. She said the APA began receiving cats last Thursday and many of them are pretty healthy.
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The rescued cats are being held at the Olivette facility. It鈥檚 currently at maximum capacity with 199 cats in 194 kennels. Brown said they鈥檝e been told to expect dozens more from the case this week 鈥 on top of the cats already up for adoption there. She called this one of the biggest hoarding cases they鈥檝e ever helped with.
Animal caregiver Erica Clemons watches over a cat with her six kittens at the 51黑料 County Animal Shelter in Olivette on Sept. 5, 2024.
鈥淥ur regular fosters are already helping us with the normal influx of 鈥榢itten season鈥 kittens, and with an additional 137 from one case and more anticipated to continue arriving, that really stretches those resources, but we would like to get a lot of them out into foster homes,鈥 Brown said.
Neighbors said they hadn鈥檛 noticed anything amiss at the home, or any cats. They rarely saw the home鈥檚 residents outside in recent months, they said.
Drew Kemp, who lives two doors down, said the homeowner鈥檚 association had called and emailed the owners about a large waste container in their driveway, which violated neighborhood rules. They never responded, he said.
鈥淭hese are large lots and it鈥檚 a wooded area,鈥 Kemp said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easier for something like this to happen under the radar.鈥
The Olivette animal shelter is asking for adopting and fostering cats, volunteering with daily care and donating supplies like crates, food and water bowls and cardboard flats.
Photos: Inside the home where at least 130 cats were found in Wildwood
Photos taken by family members show the conditions inside of a Wildwood home where officers checking on the welfare of people inside found at least 130 cats.
Photos taken by family members show the conditions inside of a Wildwood home where officers checking on the welfare of people inside found at least 130 cats.
Photos taken by family members show the conditions inside of a Wildwood home where officers checking on the welfare of people inside found at least 130 cats.
Photos taken by family members show the conditions inside of a Wildwood home where officers checking on the welfare of people inside found at least 130 cats.
Photos taken by family members show the conditions inside of a Wildwood home where officers checking on the welfare of people inside found at least 130 cats.
Photos taken by family members show the conditions inside of a Wildwood home where officers checking on the welfare of people inside found at least 130 cats.
Photos taken by family members show the conditions inside of a Wildwood home where officers checking on the welfare of people inside found at least 130 cats.
Photos taken by family members show the conditions inside of a Wildwood home where officers checking on the welfare of people inside found at least 130 cats.
Photos taken by family members show the conditions inside of a Wildwood home where officers checking on the welfare of people inside found at least 130 cats.
Photos taken by family members show the conditions inside of a Wildwood home where officers checking on the welfare of people inside found at least 130 cats.
