The Etobicoke Humane Society has rescued six more cats from a cockroach-infested Etobicoke home, and believe there may be more in the house, dead and alive.
Two more kittens and four more adult cats were taken from the house in the Kipling Avenue and Eglinton Avenue area on February 16, 2010, bringing the total to 34.
Humane Society officials tell Global News that one its investigators was bitten twice on Tuesday night and charges are now pending in the case.
“I couldn’t last more than 10 minutes without my throat and chest hurting, it was so bad in there. Nothing should live in that house,’’ said the Humane Society’s Jerry Higgins, who investigated the cat hoarding on Saturday.
Mr. Higgins said he found garbage and cockroaches everywhere, feces, urine and a strong smell of ammonia in the house.
Toronto Animal Services had been investigating for a year after numerous complaints regarding the smell, but had been unsuccessful in entering the house, inhabitated by a woman and her adult daughter, but Mr. Higgins said he was able to get through to one of the women on the phone.
After convincing them he was acting in the animals’ best interests, the women surrendered all the cats willfully.
Volunteer Jennie Grado said the cats appeared to be of normal weight, but they were dirty and smelly. She noticed that kittens appeared to be suffering from upper respiratory infection, so are under quarantine. Both Ms. Grado and Mr. Higgins noted the kittens were relatively friendly, but the adult cats seemed more stressed.
After volunteers transported the cats to the shelter, the women remained at their home.
“We tried our best to convince them to leave,” Mr. Higgins said. “Being a private dwelling, there’s nothing we can do.”
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