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GONZALES, La. — In early March, two cat caregivers contacted the Humane Society of Louisiana (HSLA) to surrender more than six dozen cats.

Both caregivers said that the many cats and kittens were dropped off by owners who no longer wanted them. The caregivers fed and watered the stray cats, but could not afford to get them sterilized, and over time the population of felines started to increase and multiply.

The cat caregivers live in Webster and Avoyelles Parishes, which, like many other rural parishes, do not provide animal control services, operate a shelter for unwanted animals, or offer low-cost spay/neuter programs.

The lack of these basic services, according to the Humane Society, exacerbates the pet overpopulation problem by causing strays to continue to breed indiscriminately.

Photos are courtesy of HSLA and Rescue Alliance

HSLA reached out to its colleagues at Rescue Alliance (RA), a rescue organization based out of Gonzales, and the group agreed to rent a cargo van and retrieve the cats from two different locations. Members of Rescue Alliance first drove to a residence in Minden, in Webster Parish, and accepted custody of 17 cats.

The cats were taken to the Alliance’s shelter which consists of a large, well-ventilated warehouse near Sorento.

The Alliance then visited an elderly resident in Avoyelles Parish who didn’t know how many cats lived in her house because they kept multiplying. She would bring one cat out at a time, and over the course of two days, she had removed 63 cats from her home.

Rescue Alliance quickly purchased more kennels to accommodate the influx of cats, and together with HSLA, they have been raising funds to pay for their care.

Photos are courtesy of HSLA and Rescue Alliance.

Most of the cats appear to be in general good health, although one cat was in critical condition.

This cat (pictured) was hospitalized for several days, suffering from anemia and malnutrition. This cat is expected to make a full recovery.

Only one cat out of the 80 has an ear tip, a sign that it has been altered. The other 79 cats will need to be spayed/neutered.

Volunteers have been assembling each day to clean and care for the cats, and HSLA is putting out a plea to people around the state to help pay for supplies, such as food and litter, vet care, and sterilization procedures. 

“We estimate that feeding, housing, vetting, and sterilizing 80 cats will likely cost $16,000 before we can rehome them, which is a sizable amount of money for any humane society to absorb. That is why we are reaching out to the public, businesses, and foundations to help us pay for these cats’ care,” says Jeff Dorson, HSL Director.

Photos are courtesy of HSLA and Rescue Alliance

“There are two ways to help,” adds Dorson. “First, people can purchase supplies online through Chewy, Amazon, or other retail outlets and send them to Rescue Alliance at 13342 Crawford Rd, Gonzales, LA 70737

A copy of Alliance’s Wish List can be found here.

Supplies can also be dropped off at these two locations during normal business hours:

  • Petstar Animal Care of Prairieville, located at 38432 W. Airlie Drive or
  • Petsmart of Gonzales, located at 40451 Lowes Ave.

People can also donate to the Humane Society of Louisiana online through its website at www.humanela.org, through its PayPal account at humanela@gmail.com, or by sending a check or money order to the Humane Society of Louisiana at P.O. Box 40321, New Orleans, LA. All donations are tax-deductible.