Cat-astrophe! Over 100 in-bred cats found inside Moscow apartment, all spawned from a single pregnant stray
It’s not quite the plot of the movie “Gremlins,” where poor Gizmo spawned loads of destructive little monsters, but when one well-meaning Moscow woman took in a pregnant stray cat, things got out of hand.
In just four years, she had a whole apartment full of them, for that one moggie brought forth over 100 more.
Кошачье поголовье росло бы в московской трешке и дальше, если бы владельцы двух комнат не решили их продать и не пришли с проверкой. Стоит отметить, что своих питомцев хозяйка не обижала и тратила на их прокорм почти все деньги. Волонтерам уже удалось пристроить часть кошек pic.twitter.com/WEY6KCJxYU
— НТВ (@ntvru) February 11, 2020
The out-of-control feline habitat was discovered when the owners of the other two rooms in the flat decided to sell up. Having not lived there for some time, they couldn't believe their eyes when they saw how the home had changed.
The decision not to sterilize her cats turned out to be rather costly, as Russian media reports suggest the owner spent almost all her money on their food, despite suggestions by her neighbors that she had an alcohol problem.
According to tabloid LIFE News, other residents in the apartment block had long suspected that something was awry behind the woman's locked door. Neighbors began to hear loud meowing, and to smell unpleasant odors. It's not known why they didn't do anything earlier, but they eventually contacted volunteers for help.
One of them, Irina Medvedeva, told daily newspaper MK: “After much persuasion, the Muscovite let volunteers inside, and we found about 130 half-starved, but very affectionate cats. The animals were in terrible condition. Despite the fact that they had a corridor, a kitchen, and a bedroom, there were still too many of them to exist comfortably. We managed to take out and distribute some of them, but about 80 more remain inside.”
Volunteers told MK that the cats were half-starving but clean and without infection. They also emphasized that hungry cats eventually turn to eating kittens, which means keeping many hungry cats together is a recipe for disaster.
The group, known as 'Zoo Defenders,' are now collecting money on social media to distribute the animals to good homes. The woman has been convinced that her cats need to be given away.
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