Advertisement Shelters caring for cats recovered from condemned home in Upton By Corin Cook, Daily News Staff Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Nine of the cats rescued from a cat hoarding situation in Upton this week are in the care of volunteers at local shelters, who are working to rehabilitate and socialize them.The Metrowest Daily News reports the Milford Humane Society was able to take six of the cats that Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) workers rescued from a home on 60 School St. in Upton that was condemned by the Board of Health Wednesday. Baypath Humane Society in Hopkinton took three.According to the Board of Health, 13 cats had been captured as of the end of the day Thursday; two were dead. Police estimate that there were about 20 cats in the home, and MSPCA workers are continuing efforts to trap the remaining cats.The efforts to remove the cats began Wednesday, after the house was condemned following an inspection by Animal Inspector Mike Moran and MSPCA Officer Nadya Moreno. The two conducted the inspection to determine if the homeowners were complying with an order issued by the board in 2011 that no more than four cats reside in the home, according to the Board of Health.The MSPCA brought the rescued cats to its shelter in Boston, applied topical treatments for fleas, administered distemper shots and conducted tests for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus, which were negative.“It’s so wonderful to have area shelters help in these situations,” said MSPCA's Jean Weber.“We’re always ready and willing to pitch in and help in these types of situations, ” said Cornelia Godfrey, shelter manager at the Baypath Humane Society.She added, “It’s hard for any one shelter to take on the burden alone.”Barbara Farrington, president of the Milford Humane Society, said she wished that the shelter could take more than six, but could not because “this is the height of the kitten season,” so the shelter is busy.“We were pretty full to start," Farrington said, "but we wanted to give them a fair shake at things.”All six cats are in poor condition, according to Farrington, with ailments including fleas and patches of fur missing, likely from scratching at the fleas. Some may also have flea-bite anemia, she said, which should clear up after the cats are treated and free of fleas.One cat has urine burns on the back of his legs from a lack of clean facilities, and another has wounds and must be quarantined for four months, Farrington said.A Massachusetts law requires that shelters quarantine cats for four months if they have wounds because of a risk of rabies to other cats.Only one of the six cats is spayed or neutered, Farrington said.Godfrey said that the three cats at Baypath are “a little dehydrated,” flea infested and anemic.Currently, she said they are overwhelmed so the three of them are alone in a separate room with music playing to relax them.“We’re just trying to let them decompress,” Godfrey said, before interacting with them.Farrington said that the six cats in Milford are “all scared to death.”So far, she said, a few of the cats have eaten since the shelter received them Thursday night, while others have not. Farrington said she will try giving the cats different foods until she finds something they are willing to eat.The next step, she said, is to bring the cats to the local vet to begin various treatments.Farrington said the cats will be up for adoption “as soon as they can,” but it depends on how long medical treatments take and how long it takes the cats to become sociable.The five cats who aren’t quarantined are in cages, but in an “open room” so they can see other cats walking around.“I don't know how much attention they got” prior to being rescued, she said.Farrington added that the Milford Humane Society would greatly appreciate any donations to help defray the costs of medical treatments for the cats.Calls concerning the future of the condemned home had not been returned at press time.Get the WCVB News App