Twenty cats rescued from a filthy storage unit in Southern California became available for adoption in San Mateo on Friday, according to the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA.
A total of 250 felines were recovered by the Pasadena Humane Society, making the rescue one of the largest in state history, officials said.
The facility then began contacting shelters for assistance in the large-scale adoption operation, and the Peninsula SPCA accepted 20 domestic shorthair cats ranging from six months to three years old, the agency said.
On Dec. 19, a neighbor complained of a stench coming from a storage unit, inside of which authorities found the 250 cats, according to the Peninsula SPCA.
Pasadena Humane Society employees said the animals were found both in crates and roaming freely inside of a storage locker that measured 600 square feet.
An additional 36 dead cats were removed from a freezer in the unit, employees said.
A search of the property revealed that the felines’ litter boxes had not been cleaned for an extended period of time, and some of the cats were treated for upper respiratory infection.
“We were in a position to help, and (we) know the Pasadena Humane Society and other Bay Area shelters would do the same if we found ourselves in this situation,” Peninsula SPCA president Ken White said in a statement.
Potential adopters should visit the Peninsula SPCA at 12 Airport Blvd. in San Mateo for more information. Adoption hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.
Kristen Peters, Bay City News
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