FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Newly released body camera video shows the "biohazardous apartment" where Federal Way Animal Control found more than 100 abandoned cats. The number ticked past 100 on Tuesday.
Officers have spent days rescuing cats from a two-bedroom unit at the Mariposa Apartments. The Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County said the more feral cats that are harder to wrangle are still left.
People who live in the complex tell KING 5 they noticed a lot of cats running around the neighborhood but never imagined how dire of a situation it was.
"It's been kind of rough with the cats," Eric Latchison, a neighbor, said. "I saw a bunch of them but didn't know where they were coming from. It's shocking to see. I'd leave the trash out, and they'd go through it and put a bunch of holes in the trash."
It's unclear how long Latchison's former neighbors have been out of the apartment. The cats were found with no food, no water, and were covered in fleas. The apartment was covered with urine and feces.
Watch the body camera footage below:
"That's messed up. You could have took them and then you left them hanging, poor kitties," Latchison said.
"Before the cats even arrived, we were caring for nearly 700 animals, so to say this is a tremendous undertaking and strain on our resources is an understatement," Lauren Green, Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County spokesperson, said.
Much to their relief, the shelter has been able to foster dozens of cats, but more help is needed.
"We really are turning to our community for support, whether it be through donations, monetary or supplies, and foster homes so we can clear space up for more cats," Green said.
The cats range in age. One of the youngest, a 1-day-old kitten, was found in a toilet. It's fighting to survive.
Green pointed out that there is an array of resources to prevent a situation like this from happening. Anyone who suspects someone is neglecting or has abandoned their animals should speak up.
"If there is a danger to the animals or they're not being fully cared for, definitely contact your local animal control agency," she said. Information on how to foster can be found here.
Federal Way police have not yet released any information about its investigation into the owners of the cats.