About a year ago, a Macon County, Georgia, resident left their home due to foreclosure. For months, the house sat dormant, collecting dust and debris. When a new owner finally bought the home, they looked inside and found something they never expected
— dozens of cats and kittens living in the darkness.
The cats, victims of a hoarding case, had survived on their own the entire time. With no one looking out for them, they’d grown gaunt, and they suffered from skin infections and diseases.
When team members at True Rescue heard about the cats, they knew they had to do something. Executive director Amy Simcik headed to the home, along with director of operations Kristin Condit and two members of the rescue’s trap-neuter-return team.
Rescuers set traps inside the home and in the yard. So far, they’ve saved eight adult cats and two kittens. But the job is far from done.
“There are dozens more,” Simcik told The Dodo.
While team members work to trap the remaining cats, the rescued cats are safe in isolation, where they’re recovering from a highly contagious skin condition. It will be well over a month before the cats are fully healed, but loving rescuers will be by their side the whole time, making sure they have everything they need.
Already, many cats are beginning to show their softer sides.
“They are really starting to warm up to us, coming up for pets,” Simcik said. “Half are still pretty scared, but all can be touched and handled, which is fortunate.”
Once medically cleared, the cats will move to foster homes and eventually find permanent families.
Rescuers hope to trap the remaining cats in the next two weeks, but they’re prepared to work for months if needed. Watching the rescued cats begin to thrive, they know their efforts are worth it.
“It's like the weight of the world is off of them,” Simcik said. “They are all looking much, much better.”
