15 Cats Abandoned In Locked Crate Add To Indiana Shelter’s Crowding Problems

By: Kelli Brinegar
For more than five years, Kelli Brinegar has been using her ability to write and her passion for research to tell the tale of what cats are thinking and why. She has provided care to more than 30 cats in her lifetime.Read more
| October 7, 2021

Muncie Animal Care and Services (MACS) of Indiana has over four hundred cats in their care. At 100 cats over capacity, MACS is massively overcrowded. Plus, an act of cruelty against 15 cats and kittens has left them with even more felines to care for. MACS is asking the community for help on a few fronts.

They need your help figuring out who dumped a crate filled with 15 cats and kittens on Reynard Road near White River. As MACS shared on their Facebook, some of the kittens were only one week old. And with this addition of more than a dozen cats to their already packed shelter, MACS is asking the community for adopters and fosterers.

Cruelty Never Ends and Cats Always Need Homes

Animal control officers discovered the 15 cats and kittens stuffed in one crate by the riverside with no food or water. From adult down to one week, these cats were abandoned and trapped inside a packed cage.

As MACS said on Facebook, “This is unacceptable!!”

“Dumping ANY animal in a cage with absolutely nothing is cruel, inhumane, and anyone who does it needs held accountable.”

Ethan Browning, director of MACS, told Fox 59 he plans on taking the guilty party to task for leaving these cats and kittens in such a cruel situation, explaining, “Hoarders need professional help to prevent the situation from happening again, and if that takes pressing charges to get court-ordered therapy, then that is what we need to do.”

The cat lovers of MACS make it their mission to help cats find good health and happy homes. Right now, the mission has grown difficult to fulfill. Despite severe overcrowding, Ethan reports they’re still getting 20-30 calls a day to pick up stray animals or investigate animal welfare cases.

In order to prompt cat adoptions, “We have been waiving reclaim fees and have had discounted adoption fees for the better part of the year, and we are still struggling to keep up with the constant intake of dumped or abandoned animals.”

MACS needs help! They need loving families to adopt and foster these felines. If you are considering adoption, Ethan asks, “Do your research if you are planning to take on a pet, know what you need and how to train them, and understand that it is a commitment, not a temporary novelty.”

Fix Those Kitties

MACS also asks cat parents to have their cats spayed and neutered.

“This is not a shelter or rescue problem, this is a community problem. The community has got to step up and do the right thing. Stop irresponsible breeding accidents and backyard breeding as a source of income, spay and neuter your animals,” Ethan implored.

Not only will you help stem the kitten flood by having your cat’ fixed,’ you’ll also be giving your cat the chance at a longer and happier life. ‘Fixing’ your cat makes life easier for them; see 5 Important Reasons Why You Should Spay/Neuter Your Cat.

If you’re a resident of the area, check out this list of low-cost clinics provided by the City of Muncie. For residents everywhere else, check in with your local shelters and rescues to see if they need volunteers, or maybe your next cat is already there, waiting to meet you!

H/T: www.fox59.com
Feature Image: Muncie Animal Care and Services/Facebook