Forty cats were rescued from a San Diego apartment after authorities discovered one of the elderly owners was hospitalized and unable to care for them.
According to reports from local outlet KUSI, the rescue began back in August when a concerned neighbor reported a strong odor and multiple cats coming from a neighboring unit. Humane Law Enforcement officers from the San Diego Humane Society worked with building management and the owner’s family to safely enter the apartment and remove the cats over the course of several weeks.
The rescues were conducted in stages: 15 cats on Sept. 17, 11 cats on Sept. 24 and the remaining 14 cats on Oct. 1. Many of the animals were found living in cramped conditions and some required medical attention for upper respiratory infections.
PEOPLE reached out to the San Diego Humane Society, who did not respond immediately for comment.
According to the Humane Society, as reported by the outlet, the elderly owners may have become overwhelmed when the cats continued breeding inside the small studio. None of the cats had been spayed or neutered.
“I’m not sure if that person is still in the hospital, but when we did make contact [with the other tenant of the apartment], we were notified one of the owners was in the hospital,
