When Danielle Rice, director of operations at Tabby’s Place, first saw Salami, a gray-haired cat with bright yellow eyes, he looked more like a pile of ash than a cat.
She wondered how the cat – found wedged into a six-inch gap between the Readington home’s ceiling and kitchen cabinets – would ever be able to find a loving family, given the trauma and inadequate socialization associated with hoarding from which it was rescued in Móc.
Fortunately, eight-year-old Salami’s brilliant personality now shines through in his new, temporary home at Tabby’s Place, a cage-free cat shelter in the Ringoes neighborhood of East Amwell.
“He’s a total lover,” Rice said. “He has moved into our conference room and loves making friends with everyone during our meetings and is always rolling around on the table.”
Salami is just one of 130 cats Tabby’s Place rescued from homes in Kingwood and Readington just a few weeks apart.
These 130 cats that found shelter at the shelter, known for being a haven for cats with special needs around the world that others may consider unadoptable, represent more than a third of the number of cats Tabby’s Place rescued in all of 2023 . was by far the largest rescue in such a short period of time that Tabby’s Place had ever conducted.
How to help
The rescue was expensive, with veterinary care and staff costs running into the tens of thousands of dollars. Most of the other work, such as trapping rescued cats, feeding them and cleaning litter boxes, is done by 400 volunteers.
Registered charity Tabby’s Place is asking for donations to support rescued cats. Donations can be made at tabbysplace.org or by mailing checks made payable to “Tabby’s Place” at 1100 US Highway 202; Ringoes, New Jersey 08551.
Tissue, one of the first kittens rescued by Tabby’s Place in May, was suffering from a dangerous upper respiratory infection. Now she is thriving in her new adoptive home.
You can also make a “donation” yourself by adopting one of the 18 cats currently available for adoption. Dozens more like Salami will be available for adoption after treatment, although more have already been adopted. Others who were not socialized were released after being treated and treated.
In May, Tabby’s Place was alerted by a humane law enforcement officer that 20 cats were living inside the Readington home and 18 more outside, all of which had not been fixed and kittens were arriving weekly. It turned out that another 47 were hiding in the house – also unaccounted for.
Some of the cats were very sick with upper respiratory infections or were underweight, and one had complete kidney failure before he died and another, Chaz, had cancer. Salami has feline infectious peritonitis.
Around the same time, Tabby’s Place was notified that there were 27 unfixed cats living in a home in Kingwood, owned by an elderly, recent widow, and 61 undomesticated and sick cats living outside.
Tabby’s Place recently rescued 130 hidden cats.
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Contrary to what people might believe from shows like “Hoarders” and “Confessions: Animal Hoarding,” Central Jersey cat owners were neither combative nor even apathetic, Rice said.
“These people found themselves in a difficult situation. They wanted what was best for the animals. They worked with us to catch cats, so we partnered with them and they were very grateful.
“I can only imagine the pain and embarrassment they must have felt inviting complete strangers into their home, but they did it anyway because they knew it had to be done to ensure better outcomes for these cats,” Rice continued. “It was incredibly brave of them. We saw these people in the most difficult moments of their lives. They were very kind, grateful and supportive of our efforts.”
Although the Kingwood woman found a new home in August, she remained in her former home in Kingwood to make sure each cat was rescued. Now he lives in an apartment with two cats.
Shakira, a cat rescued from Tabby’s Place who will soon be available for adoption.
Tabby’s Place has partnered with Pura Vida Animal Rescue in Ringoes and also volunteered Alex Varga to rescue, fix and adopt out some of Kingwood’s cats.
Meet cats
Fifty-eight cats remain at Tabby’s Place, being treated for medical conditions or socialized after endless time without touching a human hand. To treat so many cats, several rooms – including a conference room – were converted into cat rooms, since cats do not live in cages at Tabby’s Place.
Some of these cats, once nameless and stacked on top of each other in a filthy environment, include Bello, an 11-year-old who is “dizzy with feelings” and “is a sun on four happy legs,” said Angela Townsend, director of development Tabby’s Place.
Bello, who has a harmless lump in his ear that causes him to constantly tilt his head, lives in the sanctuary’s lobby where he can attract the much-appreciated attention from staff and volunteers. He’s up for adoption.
Bella, a cat rescued from Tabby’s Place who will soon be available for adoption.
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Another one is Shakira, called “mother of the year”. Barely a teenager herself, she was rescued while heavily pregnant and subsequently gave birth to four healthy kittens, who were adopted. After a frail, orphaned cat, Camila, was also brought to Tabby’s Place, Shakira also took care of her new adopted daughter before she was adopted. Shakira is up for adoption.
And no one can miss cobalt and hydrogen, which “are now inseparable,” Townsend said, and will later be available for adoption. “Cats can be found cuddled up against a purring patchwork quilt, comforting each other as they learn how much they are loved.”
Donations can be made at tabbysplace.org or by mailing checks made payable to “Tabby’s Place” at 1100 US Highway 202; Ringoes, NJ 08551. You can also adopt a cat by visiting Tabby’s Place at 1100 US-202, Ringoes section of East Amwell. Learn more at tabbysplace.org or by calling 908-237-5300.
Jenny Intersimone.
Contact: [email protected]
Jenna Intersimone has been with the USA TODAY NETWORK in New Jersey since 2014, although she’s a lifelong Jersey girl who considers herself an expert on everything from the Jersey Shore to the vibrant downtowns of the Garden State. For unlimited access to her stories of food, drink and fun, subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Tabby’s Place in Hunterdon just rescued 130 hoarded cats