- April 25, 2024
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A home packed with nearly 50 cats was discovered in Palm Coast Wednesday, an incident that has left the Flagler Humane Society crucially beyond capacity.
Officials worked for hours on Wednesday, pulling cats of all ages, many who had never been handled before, from crevices and crannies throughout the Palm Coast home. Many workers were bitten in the process.
“This hoarding situation is typical of people who get in over their heads because they don’t sterilize their animals,” said Nicole Brose, Flagler Humane Society board president. “This person started with two cats and that sprung out of control.”
Left to reproduce freely, the two cats quickly turned into 48. When Palm Coast Animal Control arrived on scene, the owner didn’t know where some of the cats came from.
The Humane Society now has 48 more cats housed at its facility, which was already over capacity before the incident happened. Usually, the organization houses between 200 and 250 cats, so the addition of nearly 50 cats was significant, Brose said. The Humane Society is now in greater need for adoptive and foster homes for cats.
“When cases like this occur, we need the community to really step up and help us,” Brose said, adding that the Humane Society is also in need of cat and kitten food to help it shoulder the burden of the additional cats.
She estimates that the shelter has 12 litters of kittens that need to be fostered to make room for the hoarded cats. The Humane Society will pay for medical treatment for any fostered animals. Fostering homes are asked to provide their own food, although the Humane Society will provide food for those who cannot provide their own.
As for the hoarded cats, they will be medically examined and observed over the weekend to determine whether they can be adopted.
“Many of these cats haven’t been socialized,” Brose said. “By Monday, we should be able to determine out of these 48 cats, how many need to be humanely euthanized because of behavior or medical issues and how many can be placed in a foster situation.”
Brose said that while the hoarding is unfortunate, it only highlights the problems that emerge when people do not spay or neuter their cats, a common problem.
“There are a lot people who get into this situation, and they just put the cats outside,” Brose said. “That’s how you get these large feral cat populations outside.”
The Humane Society is running a $20 cat adoption special during the month of August. Adoptions come with a spay/neuter surgery, microchipping and vaccinations.
“We’re trying to save as many lives as possible,” Brose said. “A big part of that is getting these cats into foster homes or adoptive homes.”
