NAMPA, Idaho — Saving a cat from a tree is a classic story, but some local heroes not only saved one but over 70 from a burned Nampa home. Now they’re asking for your help to finish the job.
The rescued adult cats and kittens are currently being fostered and up for adoption.
Over the last two months, Lake Lowell Animal Rescue and several volunteers have saved the cats from a home they call "The Crispy Home." Although the property burned down years ago, Lake Lowell Animal Rescue says the home was still being lived in.
The rescue organization and others were called for help when Canyon County Code Enforcement stepped in.
"The conditions were really horrible. I haven't posted a lot of pictures of it but there were a lot of dead cats here. That's always kind of the hardest thing, when you arrive and you’re walking over a bunch of dead cats and kittens everywhere”, Melissa Blackber, Director of Lake Lowell Animal Rescue told KTVB Wednesday.
Blackber said that during their first visit to the property, rescuers had managed to save nearly 30 cats. It wasn't easy to make trips to save more cats because the original landowner was denying entry to these rescue teams.
However, when the property was condemned, a new owner purchased the property and had compassion for the animals in need. They hired an excavation company to take down the building, and they slowly took it apart and helped rescue dozens of more cats.
"A couple of the adult females that we pulled were full-term pregnant, and so they have had kittens since we were here, but it's just a little bit over 70, and the vast majority of them were kittens,” Blackber said.
However, many didn't make it.
Blackber said she was saddened to find many of the cats had gunshot wounds or were starved during the rescue trips. But she is grateful for the ones that were saved.
Melissa further explained why she believed this happened, stating, "I think often people don't care quite as much about cats as dogs. And you sort of feel like, ‘Oh, they're fine, you know, doing their thing.’ But a lot of times, as this situation shows, they don't do well without help, and they did suffer really badly here."
The dozens of cats found at the property originated from just a few cats that weren’t spayed or neutered. Blackber stressed the importance of spaying and neutering pets. Because of this, some of the kittens found at the site were inbred, causing them to be polydactyl.
Although Lake Lowell Animal Rescue does not have room for any more intakes at the moment, several rescue organizations are working toward giving the cats a brighter future. Many of the individuals from the rescue are temporarily fostering the cats and kittens themselves.
The rescue organizations are urgently in search of foster homes, interested adopters, and any donations.
There are specific applications for those in need of these types of cats on Lake Lowell Animal Rescue’s website. The cats are already spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed, and tested. Adoptions fees for barn cats are $25.
Other foster or adoption opportunities, donation information, and volunteer details can be found at Lakelowellanimalrescue.org.
The organizations that participated in the rescue were the Lake Lowell Animal Rescue, Ladies and the Trap, Idaho Humane Society, Stella’s Shelter Fund, Treasure Valley Excavation, PetSmart Nampa, King’s Beagle, and Pet Health Clinic, along with a group of individual volunteers.