HAWS Taking Care of 50 Cats after Hoarding Situation

A hoarding situation discovered Monday in the town of Vernon has led to more than 50 cats being brought to HAWS, the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County.

Coupled with dozens more cats surrendered over the weekend, including 40 felines on Saturday alone, HAWS is scrambling to make room.

“The irony of this situation happening the same day we held our facility expansion groundbreaking is not lost on us,” noted HAWS Executive Director Lynn Olenik. “Our expansion will include a larger spay-neuter clinic and specialized areas to handle hoarding cases; this situation completely underscores how great the need is in our community.” Olenik also noted HAWS currently has programs available to help those facing an overpopulation of cats, including the shelter’s Spay-Neuter Initiative Program and Project Guardian.

Humane officers believe this particular hoarding case originated from just a single mother cat and her first litter of kittens, all of whom were never spayed or neutered. While HAWS has almost 60 of the cats now, more were believed to have been in the house in the past. Many of the cats are dealing with upper respiratory infections, but most seem healthy and friendly.

HAWS asks for help from the public:

• Cash donations will assist with general care, medical care and spaying/neutering of the cats as they are prepared for eventual adoption. Donations can be made online at hawspets.org, or in person at HAWS, 701 Northview Road, Waukesha, or via snail mail at HAWS/Vernon Cats, PO Box 834, Waukesha, WI 53187-0834.
• Donations of cat supplies – including unscented clay or pellet litter, and both dry and canned cat and kitten food – are also welcome.
• HAWS encourages those interested in adopting a cat to come to the shelter now and choose from one of the current resident cats already up for adoption. A “Columbus Day” special runs throughout the month of October, where all cats 6 months and older are just $14.92.