UPDATE (August 15th): The last available cat from this household has been adopted! We're so happy for all of the cats and their new families. Thank you again for our community for all of your support.
UPDATE (May 18th): Thanks to the generous support we received from our community to help these cats, we are waiving their adoption fees in the hopes of finding them new homes sooner. We’ve made these cats part of our Lonely Hearts Club so they could be found more easily.
UPDATE (May 16th): Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) not only met the $7,500 goal, but with your support, we exceeded it!
Over 50 cats from a hoarding situation in Madison needed your help, and you did not let them down! We are so overwhelmed by our community's generosity. Thank you to everyone who donated to help these cats.
Over the past few days, these cats have been receiving medical care and our staff and volunteers have been helping them adjust to their new environment. Once the cats recover physically and mentally, they will need new homes.
Two kittens from the hoarding situation, Stan and Lee (above), have already been adopted! We’ve also made a few other cats available for adoption. We're working now to help the available cats find new families.
Your support has made dozens of new beginnings possible and allowed DCHS to respond at a moment's notice to an urgent situation. From everyone at DCHS, and all of these cats, thank you!
Are you interested in adding a feline friend to your home or know someone else who is looking for a fur-rend?
This situation, however, remains active. Animal Services Officers set traps on the property in case any cats were missed. They brought two more cats to the shelter over the weekend.
To learn more about this situation, continue reading below. If you would like to support these cats, please click the button below.
Help These Cats Heal
Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) needs our community's help to provide medical care for 50 cats brought to the shelter from a hoarding situation in Madison.
We need help raising $7,500, an estimate we believe is needed to provide urgent medical care, vaccinations, spay and neuter surgeries, other anticipated procedures such as dentals, staff overtime, daily care, and other necessary medical interventions for 50 cats.
On Tuesday night, we admitted 15 cats from this residence. Unfortunately, 22 cats were found deceased.
We were working with the owners to admit in manageable groups the dozens more cats still in the home. But on Friday, the city deemed the home uninhabitable and Public Health Madison & Dane County’s Animal Services Officers had no choice but to bring the remaining cats to DCHS -- all 35 of them. Animal Services also left traps at the residence in case there are still more cats on the premises.
As an open admission shelter, DCHS accepts all animals regardless of age, health status, or temperament. Some of the cats are undersocialized and have significant health issues. But there are other cats who have been shy but very sweet.
“These cats have been surrendered so DCHS can immediately begin to provide the care each cat needs,” says Lisa Bernard, DCHS’s Public Relations Coordinator. “Unfortunately, receiving this large volume of cats all at once puts a strain on our resources and staff, so we’re reaching out to our community for help.”
Right now, we are focused on meeting these cats’ physical, mental, and emotional needs. Keep tabs on our website to see when they’re ready to find new homes.
“Cases like this are reminders of why spay and neuter procedures and vaccines are so important. Cats can multiply very quickly. Some can begin having kittens as young as 4 months old, they can have up to three litters per year, and each litter can have an average of 4 to 6 kittens,” Lisa says.
If you need help finding a clinic that provides low-cost veterinary care, check out our pet resources page.
Please help us raise $7,500 to cover the medical care for these cats.
You can donate online using the button above or mail your donation to or drop off it off at Dane County Humane Society’s main shelter (5132 Voges Road, Madison, WI 53718) with checks made payable to DCHS with “Heal” in the subject line.
Any additional funds raised will be used to continue the work our Animal Medical Services does every day to provide high quality medical care to thousands of companion animals each year.
