CANADA -- Nearly 100 cats had to be euthanized after they were removed from a home in west Edmonton.
The animals have been retrieved over the past two weeks from a house located at 102nd Avenue and 146th Street and most were in extremely poor health.
"They were in horrible, horrible condition," said Shawna Randolph, spokeswoman for the Edmonton Humane Society. "There was no way they could survive under the conditions that they were in. They were very, very ill."
The animals have been retrieved over the past two weeks from a house located at 102nd Avenue and 146th Street and most were in extremely poor health.
"They were in horrible, horrible condition," said Shawna Randolph, spokeswoman for the Edmonton Humane Society. "There was no way they could survive under the conditions that they were in. They were very, very ill."
Of the 100 cats removed from the home, 96 were euthanized. The animals were suffering from respiratory diseases caused by high ammonia levels in the house.
"Parts of their respiratory tract had been literally burned by the ammonia," Randolph said. "It's so sad. It's so sad that it got to this point."
The Edmonton Humane Society became aware of the house when animal protection officers were contacted by a neighbour worried about the welfare of the animals.
When officers arrived at the house, the man who lived there "realized that he was well over his head" and agreed to cooperate, Randolph said.
"Parts of their respiratory tract had been literally burned by the ammonia," Randolph said. "It's so sad. It's so sad that it got to this point."
The Edmonton Humane Society became aware of the house when animal protection officers were contacted by a neighbour worried about the welfare of the animals.
When officers arrived at the house, the man who lived there "realized that he was well over his head" and agreed to cooperate, Randolph said.
"We would leave empty carriers in the morning and toward the latter part of the day we would return and then he would have the cats ready for us," she said. "He had collected them."
The man passed away several days ago. His brother is giving the Humane Society access to the house.
However, the operation has proven to be difficult for the animal protection officers because of ammonia from the cat urine.
"They couldn't stay in there long," Randolph said. "The air was just so toxic for them."
It's believed that about 15 cats are still hiding in the house.
Randolph says food and water has been left for them while officers try to coax them out.
(CBCNews - July 13, 2012)
