Photo: BC SPCA

The BC SPCA said some of 83 cats rescued from the home of their late owner are recovering in Kamloops and a triage facility in Surrey.

Some of the 83 felines rescued by the BC SPCA from the home of their late owner are now recovering in Kamloops, some having suffered from feces-matted fur, broken teeth and respiratory infections.

In a news release, the BC SPCA said 20 of the Persian-mix cats were brought to Kamloops after being contacted by a family member of their owner, while the other 63 were taken to its Surrey animal centre and Good Shepherd Barn, a triage facility for large cat intakes.

Layla Gilhooly, the manager of the facility, said providing care for the cats requires significant resources, especially with half of them needing to be spayed or neutered, needing various medical treatments and most requiring significant grooming.

She said the felines were fearful at first and would hide under towels in their kennels.

“That’s expected,” she said. “Despite their nervousness, many of the cats were quite friendly during intake — purring, making air biscuits and leaning in for pets.”

The BC SPCA said many of the cats had extremely matted fur, some with feces, that required urgent shaves to relieve discomfort, pain and trapped bacteria. The cats are all being treated for Giardia and roundworm.

Gilhooly said most of the cats are underweight, a few have dental concerns, including broken canine teeth and gingivitis, and some have various degrees of upper respiratory infection.

“Some of the cats are on antibiotics to clear up these infections. We are monitoring a few others to see if they recover by themselves,” Gilhooly said.

“If their symptoms worsen, we will be taking them to a veterinary clinic for further treatment.”

Because of the time and space required to care for the cats, the BC SPCA said 27 of the felines in Surrey have been transferred to other centres to find their forever homes, and 36 remain at the facility.

Some of the remaining cats will require further socialization before they will be available for adoption.

Some will be up for adoption as early as tomorrow and others will be added to the BC SPCA’s adoption page over the next few weeks.