Howell Cat Hoarding: Monmouth SPCA Donor Offers To Match Gifts

HOWELL, NJ — A donor has pledged to match up to $5,000 in donations to the Monmouth County SPCA to help care for more than 60 cats and kittens removed from a Howell home last week.

Work to care for the animals began as soon as the cats and kittens were discovered at the home on East 3rd Street, where authorities were called after a New Jersey Natural Gas employee called police to report the odor of natural gas at the home, officials said. The employee and a supervisor from the gas company also noticed lots of cats around the house.

Police entered the house and found the man's belongings everywhere, along with feces and the cats, some of which were dead, police said. The animals were removed with the assistance of the Monmouth County SPCA.

"These cats were living in deplorable conditions and riddled with fleas, upper respiratory infections, skin infections and parasites," said Lindsay Sanator, a spokesperson for the Monmouth County SPCA. A week after the rescue, the animals are doing well, she said.

"The fleas and other parasites have subsided and the respiratory infections are starting to dissipate with proper treatment," Sanator said. "Our medical staff has done a phenomenal job getting them all medically assessed but more importantly helping them feel more comfortable for their stay."

The next challenge, she said, is giving them the socialization they need to be good pets.

"We're providing them with daily enrichment and human contact to help them acclimate," Sanator said. "The kittens are all doing well with their mothers (or surrogate mothers) and we're consistently monitoring their health. We will be working on placement over the next few weeks."

Sanator said those wishing to help can make donations to help cover the medical treatment, spay/neuter surgeries and more.

"A generous donor has pledged to match contributions up to $5,000," she said. The Monmouth SPCA also has an Amazon wishlist of items that help the shelter care for the animals. It can be found here: http://a.co/63IKUYK

Police said the resident, Ivan Sevastianow, 61, was arrested on an unrelated warrant and faces multiple charges related to the conditions the cats were being kept in. The house was deemed uninhabitable, police said, but the building was structurally sound.

The following agencies responded: Howell Township Code Enforcement, Animal Control, the Howell Township Health Department, the Howell Township Building Dept, Howell Township Code Enforcement, the Humane Society/Animal Control, SPCA Enforcement, and the Howell Township OEM Haz-Mat.

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Photos by Lindsay Sanator, Monmouth County SPCA, published with permission