MORGANTOWN — Earlier this month, 119 cats were removed from a hoarding situation in a single-wide trailer by the Monongalia County Canine Adoption Center officials.
The vast majority of the cats, which were well-socialized with humans considering the situation, were taken by rescue agencies. Only 14, mostly very-ill kittens, had to be euthanized, center supervisor Dana Johnson said.
Due to a criminal investigation, Johnson could not fully discuss details about the removal. She said the cats were living in very, very, bad conditions with lots of feces and urine in the home. For reference, if the center, with its staff of seven, squeezed in as many cats as it could — in what Johnson said would be uncomfortable living — they could handle 40-50.
The removal was a physically and mentally exhausting process for Johnson and the county’s dog warden, Mike Nayper. They were the only two who worked on the removal and had to wear protective suits with respirators. Seventy cats were removed the first day.
The thought of having to euthanize for space weighed heavy on their minds. There isn’t the space or staff to care for so many cats.
“I need to sing the praises of the rescue groups locally,” Johnson said. “I think it’s very important that (the public) realize that rather than donating to a national organization, they need to realize that the real work is done at home, in their hometown, by their local animal rescues.”
Mountaineers for Mutts took almost half the cats. Homeward Bound took about a dozen, Appalachian Peace Paws took a few and Animal Friends took about 20, according to Johnson. The rest are still being held by the county.
The timing couldn’t have worked better for Mountaineers for Mutts, cat coordinator Patricia Smyth said. The group works regularly with Last Chance Animal Rescue in Waldorf, Md. She said it’s much easier to find homes for animals in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore with their larger populations.
On April 6, the same day MECCA 911 told Johnson about the cats, Last Chance asked if Smyth could bring cats up on April 11.
Sonja Hoyland, a vet tech at Mountaineer Vet, volunteered her time to vaccinate the animals and test them for feline leukemia and AIDS, all requirements for the trip. The group was overall healthy and well socialized, Smyth said.
The trip was made by Sharon and Steve Vincent. Sharon said she has worked with Mountaineers for Mutts for a few years, since they helped her out with a feral cat situation in Fairmont, where she lives and does her own rescue work.
She said the cats are like babies.
“Usually when you get a baby in a car seat, and you start driving, they go to sleep. But they were really good,” Sharon said.
She said Last Chance was great getting the animals unloaded quickly.
The normally four-hour trip turned into six hours both ways because of traffic.
“So, it was a long day,” she said.
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