So on Wednesday, a crew of a half-dozen officers and other personnel from Animal Services went to the 3,800-square-foot house with a warrant, which was served by an MPD officer.

Somnitz described the conditions inside the house “absolutely deplorable.” Nearly every room was filled with a variety of items, and, while some cats were in cages, others were running throughout the house, she said.

“It’s a shame that these cats have been subjected to these kinds of conditions,” she said.

It took more than six hours to corral all the cats, Gates said. Until all of them were captured, he said, animal control officers didn’t know how many were inside the house. Initially, Simonitz estimated the total at 50, but by the end of the night, that number nearly doubled.

Once the cats were all back at the shelter in Statesville – a process that took two trips – Animal Services veterinarian Dr. Kimberly Ball, began assessing them for diseases such as ringworm and upper respiratory infections and giving them a round of vaccinations (if they could be handled), Gates said.

The cats showing any signs of illness were separated, as were the feral cats. The entire group seized from the house were separated from other cats at the shelter to prevent the spread of any diseases, he said.