Dartmouth animal shelter at capacity after receiving two dozen cats from single home

Two dozen cats and kittens rescued from one home have Bide Awhile Animal Shelter Society in Dartmouth, N.S., at capacity.

Liesje Somers-Blonde, the shelter's executive director, said the person at the home likely hoarded the animals until it became too much to handle.

The shelter became aware of the situation when a person in the community acted as an intermediary.

Somers-Blonde said the shelter had space available and agreed to help. They were told that there were 24 cats, almost all kittens. They needed immediate care.

But Sam Cole, the communications co-ordinator for the shelter, said there are another 60 cats in and around the same home in less urgent need.

"We are working with the individual who brought us the 24 and we're working to help bring in those other adults that are still at that home," Cole said. 

"Some of them were community cats, a lot of them came from the same home and a lot of them are most likely the parents to all of these kittens."

The shelter has 50 kennels, half for isolation and half for cats available for immediate adoption, Cole said.

Somers-Blonde said the available space is now "more than full." 

She said all new cats coming in undergo 12 to 14 days in isolation. They are assessed by a veterinarian during that time to see which are ready for spaying, neutering, vaccination and deworming, and which need more medical attention.

She said of the 14 female and 10 male cats just taken in, one has an umbilical hernia that must be treated, others have runny eyes and several have worms.

According to Somers-Blonde, the cost of taking in so many new cats and kittens at once is well above what the organization budgeted for this year.

She said the shelter hopes to raise $5,000 through a CanadaHelps page online and a monthly raffle.

The goal is just to have all the cats spayed and neutered and doesn't include other medical procedures, having them microchipped, housing or food, Somers-Blonde said.

Despite the circumstances, the kittens are all friendly and have excellent dispositions, Somers-Blonde said.

"Every single one of these kittens loves to be loved.... I do believe the person who had them loved them,"  she said.

Bide Awhile is not the only organization in Nova Scotia feeling the pressure of an increasing number of cat rescues.

Marlyn Pemberton, the co-ordinator of the volunteer group 9-Lives Cat Rescue NS, says the number of new rescues this year has been overwhelming.

"It's like a volcano," she said. "We have a long list of people who have kittens that want help."

Somers-Blonde said Bide Awhile also took in 598 animals in 2023, a record for the organization.