The Cat Factory [NSFL]

Cat on 2nd Shelf up on left side looks like Hitler

looks like my basement...

Not safe for...???!!!

Seized cats being readied for adopt-a-thon on Aug. 26-28
Cindy Swirko Staff writer
Gainesville Sun
August 10, 2011 ET

Hun­dreds of cats seized from a major High

Springs hoard­ing case are be­ing shut­tled this week to the Uni­versity of Florida ve­t­erinary col­lege to be spayed or neutered, tested and treated in prepa­ration for an adoption event

this month.

The surgery is be­ing done by about 25 UF ve­t­erinary students and a handful of ve­t­erinary res­idents from UF and the Uni­versity of California at Davis.

"There are over 600 that will need homes," said UF ve­t­erinary pro­fessor Julie Levy. "We are planning a big adopt-a-thon, so that's why we are having the push now to get them spayed and neutered and healthy."

Alachua County Ani­mal Ser­vices, along with national res­cue groups, seized 697 cats on June 7 from Haven Acres Cat Sanctu­ary.

Owners Steve and Pennie Lefkowitz de­scribed the sanctu­ary as a no-kill fa­cility for unwanted fe­lines. The Humane Society of the United States de­scribed it as the largest case of cat hoard­ing in the nation.

Initially the cats, which are be­ing housed in a ware­house, got exams and some treat­ment but

had not been re­linquished to Ani­mal Ser­vices. Custody was turned over last week, al­lowing for the surgery — more than 300 need to be spayed or neutered — and more intensive treat­ment.

More than 60 of the seized cats have been euth­a­nized. Levy said many of the survivors have ringworm, mouth in­fections and diseases such as fe­line in­fectious peritonitis and viral fe­line leukemia.

Haven Acres cats are be­ing spayed or neutered in the style of Op­eration Catnip, a sterilization program at UF in which stray and feral cats under­go surgery in as­sembly line fash­ion with staff at var­ious stations do­ing anes­thesia, vac­cinations, surgery and recovery.

Levy said local ve­t­erinar­ians have been vol­unteering to pro­vide oth­er treat­ment.

"We certainly would be happy to have more ve­t­erinar­ians that would be will­ing to