More than 300 cats have been discovered inside a Toronto apartment.
The cats were kept by a hoarder, and 80 of them were taken to Toronto Cat Rescue (TCR) in bad shape after being discovered on Wednesday.
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"The cats and kittens are doing well in their foster homes," the rescue said in a statement.
"We are so grateful to our volunteers and staff who stepped up to the plate to get cats out of the apartment right away."
Toronto City News reports the cats were housed in a small 18th-storey apartment. TCR executive director Belinda Vandersluis told Newshub the apartment was in horrific shape when rescuers got to it.
"The staff, volunteers and enforcement officers who were there reported that there were cats everywhere in the two-bedroom apartment in a highrise in Toronto, on all the surfaces, in every room.
"It was a very difficult environment to spend time in. Neighbours reported that the smell was unbearable in the hallway. "
It's the second hoarding situation TCR has uncovered in the last month. The rescue said it could be avoided.
"It's a terrible way for cats to live. If you know that someone has too many cats, it is best to report it sooner rather than later.
"Unsterilised cats breed prolifically, and with only a nine-week gestation things get out of control VERY quickly."
Toronto bylaws say one home can hold up to six cats at a time, meaning the owner was at least 294 cats over the limit.
The cats in TCR's care have been sent to foster homes and will be desexed before being put up for adoption.
"We are a network of over 400 foster homes and 1100+ volunteers in the Toronto area. We are able to mobilize quickly because of this, so we were the first ones on the scene with Toronto Animal Services.
"Other agencies also took cats into their shelters. All of the cats have now been removed and are either in foster homes, shelters or veterinary clinics."
Vandersluis said one of the cats was adopted yesterday. Anyone who wants to contribute to TCR work or know more about the cats can look at its website.
Newshub.
