Humane Animal Welfare Society is now the temporary home to 50 cats that were among 144 surrendered in a hoarding case in western Waukesha County.

The Waukesha animal shelter is seeking help placing the cats and donations of food and litter for the pets, as well as financial assistance for antibiotics and surgery. The shelter is "treating all those we feel we can help," Executive Director Lynn Olenik said in a news release. "Most of the cats were ill and suffering, and living in deplorable conditions," she said.

The cats were found on the property, living in an outdoor barn, Olenik told Waukesha Patch. "Most of (the barn) was covered with fecal matter," Olenik said. "They had varying degrees of infections — eye infections, upper respiratory infections."

Also on Waukesha Patch: Waukesha robbery suspect charged in Brookfield case

Village Shoppe opening in Waukesha

Who are the Waukesha GuitarTown artists? The cats were underfed and were significantly underweight, Olenik said.

The animal shelter was able to save 50 of the cats from an elderly woman last week; the rest were euthanized. The recent hoarding case is bringing a reminder from HAWS that hoarding is a real problem and that people need to get social workers involved in hoarding cases.

"They need help from a professional to try to get the person to relinquish some of the animals or even get them the health care they need," Olenik said.