Hoarding - 100 cats Monterey, CA (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Feb 1, 2005 County: Monterey Local Map: available Disposition: Not Charged Abuser names unreleased

Case ID: 3716 Classification: Hoarding Animal: cat View more cases in CA (US) Login to Watch this Case

Most of the 136 cats seized from a Pacific Grove home likely will be placed with new owners after they regain their health, an animal-welfare official said Wednesday.

Many of the animals -- ranging from kittens to older adult cats -- were being treated for respiratory ailments and ringworm by staff with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Monterey County.

"I would guess we would be successful in placing the majority of them," said Gary Tiscornia, SPCA executive director.

Pacific Grove police and animal-control officers discovered the colony of cats Tuesday in execrable conditions at the home of an elderly widow and her younger female boarder in the 1300 block of Miles Street. Police said they went to the home after receiving a tip from two women who'd been hired to care for the cats.

Police continued to look into the case Wednesday and will refer it to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office for any possible prosecution.

"We're doing a full investigation of some of the backgrounds of people involved," Police Chief Carl Miller said.

Miller said police were looking for "telltale signs" of elder abuse, but were not prepared to say if any abuse had occurred.

Tiscornia said animal cruelty charges won't be filed because it was difficult to determine whether the cats belonged to the elderly homeowner or her female boarder.

The homeowner's daughter will see that her mother gets appropriate medical care, Tiscornia said.

"That's critically important in hoarder cases, that there is appropriate counseling and medical care," he said.

The SPCA also plans to keep tabs on the woman's boarder because in animal-hoarding cases the recidivism rate is "almost 100 percent," Tiscornia said.

"If it repeats itself, it will be criminal," he said. "These animals were in horrific circumstances."

Health and city building officials won't allow the home to be reoccupied until it is cleaned up, Miller said. Police didn't release names of the people involved.

Though authorities believe the young boarder had been collecting cats off the street for several months, police hadn't received reports of missing animals, Miller said.

"That's not uncommon. Cats are free spirits. They tend to disappear and then come back a few months later," he said.

Tiscornia said a few people already called the SPCA about adopting the cats. The agency is asking people to call to set up appointments to either claim missing animals or to adopt them. The number is 373-2631, extension 200.

"We're hoping to have some happy stories out of this," Tiscornia said.

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References

Monterey Herald - Feb 3, 2005

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