MINNETONKA, Minn. — Animal shelters in Minnesota say they need help after being forced to take in hundreds of cats from hoarders across the state.
Researchers have found at least 265 cats in just three homes in Minnesota since late February.
About 50 of them will be taken from a home in the Iron Range on Thursday. Then they are taken to The Bond Between, a rescue in Minnetonka.
“We don’t really know what to expect until we get there,” said Rachel Mairose, founder and director of the rescue. “From the photos, the cats look well fed. They don’t look super skinny. There’s a lot of babies being made in that house.”
Mairose says the homeowner passed away and left the cats behind.
Bond between
After receiving veterinary care, the cats go to foster homes. The rescue operation has already listed a number of them, but another dozen houses are needed.
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“Childcare is free,” Mairose said. “We provide everything you need: supplies, food, crates, toys, training, so all you have to do is open your home and your heart to an animal in need.”
Although the Iron Range animals appear healthy, the same cannot be said for the 100 cats rescued in Crosby last week, north of Brainerd, or the 120 from a Crystal house this year.
The police were involved in both cases. Both are still looking for foster parents.
“There are several ways things can quickly get out of hand for people,” Mairose says. “People like to point at hoarders one way, and I always say it’s a really interesting, complicated mental health problem. We never blame the person who does that. They really believe they’re doing what’s right for the animal.”
Mairose says it doesn’t help that spay and neuter resources are harder to find in rural areas.
She urges people to support organizations that perform large-scale spay and neuter services in the cities and also in Greater Minnesota.
David Schuman
