Nearly two dozen malnourished and ill cats were rescued from a vacated apartment in White Plains, New York, after being left behind by an evicted tenant, authorities said.
The Westchester County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is currently caring for 23 cats and kittens found in dire conditions—some with severe dehydration, upper respiratory infections, and ear infections—after weeks without adequate food or water.
“Many were skin and bones,” said Ernest Lungaro, a spokesperson for SPCA Westchester. Two cats had already died by the time rescuers arrived, and one was found desperately trying to drink from a toilet.
A Repeat Hoarding Situation
The rescue marks the second intervention at the same apartment complex. Last year, the SPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement Unit removed roughly 40 cats from the unit as their owner, an elderly woman, faced eviction.
After the woman was relocated last month, building management failed to alert authorities that cats remained inside. Left unchecked, the animals bred rapidly, worsening the hoarding situation.
“You couldn’t even go in there—it was hard to breathe,” Lungaro said. “The cats had clawed holes in the walls, some even reaching the basement.”
Recovery and How to Help
The surviving felines are now receiving medical care and improving, though their rehabilitation will take time.
No charges were filed, as the former tenant cooperated with rescuers, but the case highlights the dangers of animal hoarding and neglect.
Those wishing to support the cats’ recovery can donate directly through SPCA Westchester’s website.
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