Cats who survived Happy Cat Sanctuary fire being trapped, treated and evaluated by rescuers in Medford
Volunteers began trapping and removing some of the 200 cats Friday who survived a fire this week that destroyed the Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford and killed its founder.
The blaze Monday killed Christopher Arsenault, 65, who cared for about 300 cats in his Medford home, which was converted into a sanctuary on his half-acre property. The fire also killed more than 100 cats in his home while the remaining cats escaped.
Volunteers with the Strong Island Animal Rescue and the Nesconset-based Paws of War, were capturing cats Friday morning in traps or with nets so the cats can be examined for burns or respiratory issues, potentially caused by smoke inhalation.
“We’re getting the trapping started, and it’s pretty emotional,” said Frankie Floridia, who founded the Strong Island rescue. “It’s just walking through there and knowing that this is going to be the day where we start taking them and getting them to where they need to go.”
Rescuers hoped to have moved about 100 cats from the sanctuary Friday to be cataloged and moved to veterinarians or to a warehouse in Holbrook. Many of the cats were feral, mixed with some friendly domesticated cats. They will be sedated and examined by veterinarians over the weekend aboard the Suffolk SPCA’s mobile animal hospital.
The warehouse has been outfitted with about 100, 42-inch crates with food, water and litter to hold each cat. They will be kept there until they can be placed with rescues or deemed available for adoption, said Lisa Jaeger, a board member of the Happy Cat Sanctuary and director of Jaeger’s Run Animal Rescue.
Jaeger said about 50 of the cats may become adoptable in the coming weeks while the feral cats will need to be placed with specific rescue groups where they can live undisturbed or be rehabilitated.
While examined, the cats will be spayed or neutered, if needed, tested for disease, vaccinated and microchipped, Jaeger said.
“They’re mostly scared. I worry about them the most because it’s hard to place them in a home,” Jaeger said. “A good amount of them just need love and affection. These were Chris’ babies and escaped during the fire.”
Volunteers began trapping and removing some of the 200 cats Friday who survived a fire this week that destroyed the Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford and killed its founder.
The blaze Monday killed Christopher Arsenault, 65, who cared for about 300 cats in his Medford home, which was converted into a sanctuary on his half-acre property. The fire also killed more than 100 cats in his home while the remaining cats escaped.
Volunteers with the Strong Island Animal Rescue and the Nesconset-based Paws of War, were capturing cats Friday morning in traps or with nets so the cats can be examined for burns or respiratory issues, potentially caused by smoke inhalation.
“We’re getting the trapping started, and it’s pretty emotional,” said Frankie Floridia, who founded the Strong Island rescue. “It’s just walking through there and knowing that this is going to be the day where we start taking them and getting them to where they need to go.”
Rescuers hoped to have moved about 100 cats from the sanctuary Friday to be cataloged and moved to veterinarians or to a warehouse in Holbrook. Many of the cats were feral, mixed with some friendly domesticated cats. They will be sedated and examined by veterinarians over the weekend aboard the Suffolk SPCA’s mobile animal hospital.
The warehouse has been outfitted with about 100, 42-inch crates with food, water and litter to hold each cat. They will be kept there until they can be placed with rescues or deemed available for adoption, said Lisa Jaeger, a board member of the Happy Cat Sanctuary and director of Jaeger’s Run Animal Rescue.
Jaeger said about 50 of the cats may become adoptable in the coming weeks while the feral cats will need to be placed with specific rescue groups where they can live undisturbed or be rehabilitated.
While examined, the cats will be spayed or neutered, if needed, tested for disease, vaccinated and microchipped, Jaeger said.
“They’re mostly scared. I worry about them the most because it’s hard to place them in a home,” Jaeger said. “A good amount of them just need love and affection. These were Chris’ babies and escaped during the fire.”
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