Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) opened its doors Monday, February 3rd, to 18 cats from a hoarding situation in Waupaca County, and is providing veterinary care to another 25 cats bound for a local animal adoption organization. 

Be The Change Rescue, Inc. in Edgar, Wis., reached out to DCHS in late January about a large cat colony in a home in Iola where the owner is terminally ill. The small rescue located in Marathon County was already at capacity and was unable to take in the nearly 100 cats. The local shelter in the county where the home is located also couldn’t take in any cats, so the rescue reached out to animal organizations in other areas to help the cats find new homes.

Last week, representatives from Be The Change Rescue visited the Iola home to assess the cats and determined they were all in need of veterinary care and had significant skin issues because of fleas. They also reported a majority of the cats were friendly. At that time, they transported 20 to another Madison-area shelter. 

On Monday afternoon, the rescue transported 43 cats more than two hours to DCHS, leaving a few dozen cats still in the home.  

DCHS staff examined all 43 cats and found some in need of dental surgeries, wound care, possible eye surgeries, and more. Almost all have skin issues related to flea infestation. Four cats will enter DCHS’s Felines in Treatment program after a special ultraviolet light from a Wood’s lamp indicated they may have ringworm, a highly-contagious fungus that can be transmitted across species.

Twenty-five of the 43 cats went to Angel’s Wish in Verona, a partner of DCHS’s Shelter Support Program through which DCHS provides their animals with veterinary care and services at an affordable cost.

Over the next few days, DCHS veterinarians will spay and neuter the cats, and provide any other veterinary treatment as necessary. Keep watch of DCHS’s website, giveshelter.org/adopt, to see when these cats are ready to find their new homes.