After 150 cats rescued from Yorktown home, SPCA of Westchester says need for help keeps growing
BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. - The SPCA of Westchester says it is overwhelmed with support after rescuing cats from a hoarding situation.
More than 150 were removed from a filthy home in Yorktown a week ago.
The need for help keeps growing as rescued cats deliver kittens.
One kitten born Tuesday morning was part of the biggest cat rescue ever for the SPCA of Westchester - 151 cats and counting.
"We've had such an amazing response from the community, from people in our own backyard, to across the country, to overseas," said Lisa Bonnano of SPCA of Westchester.
The rescue from a filthy home in Yorktown made headlines around the world.
All of the rescued cats need medical attention. Almost all have respiratory and eye infections. The vet bills will surpass $40,000.
Hundreds of people have donated money. Other have given bedding, kitty litter and food.
The SPCA says over the weekend dozens of people stopped by to drop off supplies. Many of them said they're also interested in eventually adopting one of the cats.
"Some are going to take a few months to really recover and be able to go up for adoption. Others will hopefully be able to go up sooner," Bonnano said.
The story is heartbreaking on many levels. The homeowners, a man and woman in their 50s, were found dead in a bedroom in the decrepit home.
Police have released very little information beyond saying foul play is not suspected.
CBS2's Tony Aiello has learned the man who died recently retired from the New York City Sanitation Department. One colleague told Aiello "he was just a great guy, someone everyone turned to for help. None of us can understand this."
Police believe the couple did their best to care for the cats, but became overwhelmed.
"It's incredible if you could just have five, 10 cats, and they're not spayed or neutered, how in a year or two, how many dozens of cats that could accumulate," Bonnano said.
At the shelter, there are more kittens to come. Several of the rescued cats are pregnant.
The SPCA says the cats are well-socialized and good candidates for adoption, which is unusual for a hoarding situation.
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Meanwhile, officials are dealing with another cat hoarding situation in Yonkers, where an estimated 200 cats were found inside a residence on the city's Southeast Side.
Rescue groups are working with the homeowner to remove the cats in stages so no shelter is overwhelmed.
