Several cats have been dwelling at a Costa Mesa home the place demolition permits have been requested. Local animal advocates need to make certain all of the cats are out earlier than the bulldozer is available in. (Photos courtesy of Megan Robison)
For greater than two weeks, two Costa Mesa ladies have been attempting to lure stray cats holed up in a home set for demolition into cages arrange with meals.
With seven secured by the weekend, TJ Kelley and Megan Robison, who each have expertise rescuing cats, stated there have been no less than eight extra on the West twentieth Street property in Costa Mesa.
Originally, when the ladies first began going to the home on Aug. 26, they estimated there have been no less than 24 cats across the property, lots of which sat on the roof, got here out from the muse and hid round stacks of tires. Since that point, one other seven cats have been faraway from the world by different animal advocates, they stated.
The ladies say they’re apprehensive as a result of the home, which was offered final month, is about to be demolished by its new proprietor. A allow for the demolition was requested final month and the town is anticipated to do an inspection of the property on Wednesday. Costa Mesa officers have stated no demolition allow has been granted but.
Kelley and Robison stated they have been prompted into motion by a submit on the Nextdoor app asking: “Anybody know what happened to all those cats and kittens that were in the abandoned house on W. 20th?”
Erwin Tipton, one among seven kids who grew up within the home, stated his household had three cats whereas dwelling there, however they fed different strays within the neighborhood.
“Every time we fed our cats outside, next thing we knew, all these other cats would show up,” he stated. “There were so many cats, it was like a watering hole.”
Tipton stated he and his siblings spent $30 per week feeding the stray cats. When his mother and father handed away, he stated, he and his siblings have been within the technique of cleansing up their home and property, however ended up promoting.
The cat rescuers need to lure any remaining cats and get all of them neutered or spayed – a GoFundMe has already raised $3,500 to assist with the cost. Several pregnant moms have already been rescued, however extra kittens, the ladies say they worry, stay within the home. Those that may be adopted and put into fosters will go that route; others which might be feral shall be despatched to sanctuaries or wineries the place they’ll stay out their lives, they stated.
“We want to get the cats out before the house is demolished,” Robison stated, “and understand how the city allowed this to happen.”
Robison stated she was advised early final week by an official with the town’s Police Department, which oversees animal management companies, that she may attempt to lure the cats. She is apprehensive they might be euthanized if picked up by authorities who discover they’re too feral to undertake out.
The ladies additionally took their case to the Costa Mesa City Council final week with the hope of getting extra officers concerned.
“We’ll do whatever we can to make sure no cats are harmed,” Mayor John Stephens stated after the council assembly. On Thursday, a metropolis spokesperson stated animal management officers have been on the property and “continue to work on the issue.”
The metropolis’s animal management officers and its animal companies employees are monitoring the property, with the settlement of the brand new property proprietor, the spokesperson stated. City officers stated traps have been set and people cats caught shall be despatched to an acceptable rescue operation.
The metropolis has additionally posted an indication just lately saying that any meals left on the property shall be eliminated by Animal Services so no extra cats are drawn to the positioning.
But, Robison and Kelley stated they might proceed to attempt to lure and rescue any remaining cats.
They do consider, they stated, the town is now taking the matter extra significantly due to public consideration. “After we spoke to the mayor and City Council, the city moved into crisis mode to try and clean this up and look like they were doing what they were supposed to be doing all along,” Kelley stated.
“We are going to continue to look in on the cats and feed them until we are confident that none are left,” Kelley stated. “Our biggest fear is that when the city traps them, they are going to euthanize them.”
Kelley and Robison have already had a number of cats spayed or neutered and stated they’re with fosters.
Most of the cats they’re discovering have black fur and “black cats are harder to find adopters for,” Kelley stated.
Tipton stated when he and his siblings moved, they took their very own spayed and neutered cats with them – they’re now at his sister’s home – they usually alerted metropolis officers to the stray cats that hang around on the property. He stated the household was advised animal management can be notified to deal with their rescue.
Tipton stated, “he’s sick to his stomach,” concerning the cats that remained on the property and what may occur to them. In all, he guessed there have been about 24 or 25.
“Before we left, I went to every door and said, ‘If you’ve got a cat that’s been coming to our house, when the property is sold we won’t be able to go there and feed them because that would be trespassing.’”
“I didn’t want them to be killed,” he stated, “when the bulldozer comes out.”
