Twenty-six cats found abandoned in cardboard boxes at Barrie vet clinic

Staff at Aldergrove Animal Clinic found 26 cats abandoned cats in cardboard boxes Friday morning.

Shortly after 4 a.m., boxes containing 26 cats were dropped on the porch at the Aldergrove Animal Clinic. The four breeding female cats were inside, along with 22 kittens, which were in rough shape when discovered hours later.

“Malnourished, underweight, I would say 80 per cent of them have severe eye conditions,” said Susan Bartley, the foster coordinator at Furry Friends Cat Rescue.

“All were afflicted with severe conjunctivitis or diarrhea or both, and so they were all quite ill and required treatment,” said Aldergrove Animal Clinic Veterinarian Virginia Cornell.

While many felines are finding refuge at the Furry Friends cat shelter, some have remained at the veterinary clinic, and some are getting care in foster homes.

Furry Friends says the fire earlier this year at Barrie’s Street Cats Rescue has caused less space for care and their intake numbers to rise.

“We are quite full already, but we knew that we had to help,” said Bartley.

The shelter is asking for help with bills that may exceed $20,000, including surgery for one kitten who needs its eye removed.

“We’re looking especially for monetary donations. The vet bills are going to be quite extensive for us as well as we’re currently having to feed them a specialty food,” explained Bartley.

The animal clinic believes this was a situation where a person tried to make back money they paid for pure Rag Doll cats by breeding them but got overwhelmed. Officials are calling it irresponsible reproduction.

“Wanting to recoup some of that cost and had just gotten in over their head. Their kittens had gotten ill, and they couldn’t afford to take care of them and didn’t know what to do,” Cornell said.

The shelter says these animal abandonments have increased since pandemic lockdowns.

“Our surrenders, people giving up their cats, has definitely increased since after COVID as well as we are finding adoption numbers are down as well, so it’s having an impact,” said Bartley.

Dr. Cornell says this is another example of why pets should be spayed or neutered.

Officials with Furry Friends are encouraging people to seek out help before the health of the animals gets to this point.