Brookfield cat hoarding, 73 need new homes
BROOKFIELD, Wis. - Seventy-three cats were rescued from a Brookfield hoarding situation, and they're now in need of new homes.
There are cats pretty much everywhere you look at the Elmbrook Humane Society, including in the executive director's office, where Winnifred likes to hang out.
"We’re not used to having this many cats come in at once," said Natalie Hoskins, executive director of the Elmbrook Humane Society.
Almost all of the cats in their care came from just one property.
"I’ve been here for 13 years, and we haven’t had a case like this before," said Hoskins.
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Hoskins said they first started getting calls about the property about a year ago. Neighbors were complaining about the smell from the condo next door.
The Elmbrook Humane Society finally got permission to go inside the home on Aug. 31. The owner surrendered all 57 cats found in the 1,200-square-foot condo. Ammonia levels were so high inside that humane officers had to frequently leave the home while trying to capture the cats due to burning in their eyes and lungs.
"It was about what you would expect when you have a large number of animals in a small space," said Hoskins.
An additional 16 cats were found outside over the next couple of weeks. Now, all 73 need new families.
"They all have to go into homes, but most people want friendly, social cats where they can handle them and pet them," said Hoskins. "These aren’t those cats, so we’re working really hard with our behavior team to get them to a point where they will be suited for a home."
Making sure each cat feels safe and loved is a big task for a small organization.
"Each day that they’re here, it’s food, staff time, space that takes up that we can’t take in another animal to help," said Hoskins.
They are hoping enough patient cat lovers will step up to help.
Some of the cats are available for adoption now. The rest will be available as they work to get socialized.
The Elmbrook Humane Society is also in need of fosters and in great need of canned cat food to help take care of them all until they find homes.