More than 180 cats have been removed from a single dwelling.

More than 180 cats are in SPCA care after being rescued from an alleged animal hoarder.

SPCA inspectors removed the cats from the property, a single dwelling, on July 23 after ongoing complaints. They are now at the charity's Auckland Animal Village in Mangere undergoing vet checks.

Chief executive Andrea Midgen said an investigation is underway and SPCA Auckland will likely prosecute the owner under the Animal Welfare Act.

"The condition they were living in was absolutely appalling from both a human and an animal perspective," she said.

"Surprisingly, a lot of the cats are not too bad - not as bad as we feared given the condition they were living in."

About 300 cats and kittens are now at the shelter in total and it is struggling to contain them all.

"We've been very creative. In our barn we have a piggery which has now been converted to hold cats, we've got dog-holding areas which have now been converted to hold cats."

The shelter has closed to incoming cats while vets carry out assessments.

People planning on dropping off a cat this week will need to find alternative arrangements, Midgen said.

She's encouraging owners to take photos, make fliers and post ads on sites like Pets on the Net and TradeMe to find their pets new homes.

"It is an owner's responsibility to rehome any family pet they can no longer provide with a home. The SPCA will happily provide people with help and advice on finding a new home for cats."

The charity will reassess its ability to take in more cats on July 29 or 30.

It will also be looking for foster homes for some of the rescued cats.