'Horrific Scene': 25 Cats Abandoned In Vacant Parsippany Home

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Cats piled on each other in cabinets, while others walked around floors so filthy you couldn't see to the bottom. This was the "horrific scene" that Wise Animal Rescue came across when it discovered 25 cats and kittens left in an abandoned Parsippany home.

Conditions were so poor that rescuers needed a hazmat team. They could smell cat urine upon entering the home, but all the felines were confined to a first-floor bedroom. Upon entering, the eyes, noses and throats of rescuers burned.

The cats — some newborns — had been there for months, defecating and urinating on the floor. Some were found deceased and buried in waste.

The original owners only regained entry after removing a squatter. Wise turned the situation over to authorities, but now they're doing what they can for the cats.

"Many rescues were called to help as well as local Animal Controls but they were unable to help rescue the cats," the rescue wrote in a Facebook post. "Shelters are often full due to kitten breeding season and they have limited space and capacity."

Wise set up a clean, temporary safe home for the cats, equipped with air conditioning and an extracting ventilation system. They also constructed small, makeshift shelters to help them feel safe.

The rescue said June 24 that several kittens went to the vet, while several cats got spayed. One lactated. Two of the three cats would've given birth again if the rescue didn't intervene.

"When you see this hoarder house, you have to realize how much blood sweat and tears it took to make the room safe for these cats," Wise Animal Rescue said. "They have never had it so luxurious."

And one feline found a forever home. Volunteers found an orange cat stuck behind a litter box, wedged against the wall in a mound of feces. They thought he was dead, but they were wrong. When animal control and the detective came in, they poked the cat several times.

Suddenly, he moved.

They immediately removed him and took him to the vet. Now, he has a home.

"It has been such an emotional time, this just made us cry happy tears," the rescue said.

Ways to Donate

Wise Animal Rescue can still use some help. There are several ways to donate.

• cash or check, by mail, to PO Box 121 Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034
• Venmo: @wise-animalrescue
• Zelle: wiseanimalrescue@gmail.com
• online

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