20 cats rescued from Cape Girardeau trailer court

The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri rescued 20 cats from a trailer court in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday after a neighbor called city animal control to report "deplorable living conditions" in the small mobile home, said Requi Salter, director of the Humane Society.

Living among the cats, amid piles of boxes and debris, was an older woman who was disabled, Salter said.

The conditions weren't any healthier for people than they were for animals, Salter said.

Feces littered nearly every surface in the trailer, and the ammonia odor was so strong it burned the lungs of workers from the Humane Society and the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center as they searched for cats hiding in the mess, Salter said.

The owner turned over the animals to the Humane Society and likely will not face charges, Salter said.

"I think her heart was in the right place," Salter said.

The woman seemed to have begun with a few cats of her own, then took in some strays. She didn't get them neutered or spayed, so the cat population continued to grow.

She went to live with a relative in another state, who came to help her pack up her things, Salter said.

He'd tried several times to convince her to move with him, but he didn't to appear to have known how bad things had gotten.

Not all of the cats were domesticated, though a few did appear friendly and well-socialized, Salter said.

The ages of the cats ranged from 5 months old to about 4 years.

Most of them appeared to suffer from an upper respiratory condition, but more will be known after a veterinary evaluation this week, Salter said.

Some of the cats will probably be available for adoption.

Though its not known how long the woman lived in such unsanitary conditions, Salter guessed it took about 10 years to have accumulated that kind of clutter.

Humane Society workers see more instances like this than most people would think, Salter said.

She encouraged people that are aware of someone who might be in a similar predicament to let them know they are not alone and urge them to seek help.

Humane Societies and health departments are agencies that can assist with these kinds of situations, Salter said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

388-3635

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