Founder and director of Town Cats Rosie Mirko, from Gilroy, gives amoxicillin to one of the 31 new cats that animal control recovered from a Morgan Hill home Tuesday. Mirko gives the new cats the medicine twice a day along with saline solution for their eyes.
A total of 31 cats, most of them healthy but some needing treatment for parasites or disease, were rescued from a home on Black Walnut Way Tuesday after authorities received an anonymous tip earlier this month.
The cats had been using the home, owned by Morgan Hill resident Gene Medina, as a litter box, according to police. Medina has declined comment.
Special operations officers donned hazardous material protective suits and masks to enter the large two-story home, which is in a middle- to upper-class neighborhood not far from downtown. Fire officials opened windows and doors and set up giant fans to circulate air through the house to clear it of the ammonia smell created by cat urine.
The smell was noticeable from outside the home, and neighbors may have reported it to police, officials said.
Officers took cat crates into the home and tried to round up the cats, most of which were in good condition, according to police, while some were aggressive and feral.
Special Operations Sgt. Jerry Neumayer said 31 animals were taken from the home, but six were returned to owners, as residents are permitted by municipal code to have up to six in a home. The remaining cats were taken to the nonprofit feline adoption center Town Cats on San Pedro Avenue where they will be treated and cared for until they are adopted or placed in foster care.
Neumayer said it is not clear why the homeowners had so many cats in the home, but the couple had cooperated in the cats' removal.
No one was arrested Tuesday, but a report will be submitted to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office for review of animal cruelty charges.
When Morgan Hill Animal Control officer Daniel Pina received the anonymous tip on July 16 that the residents had as many as 100 cats in the home, he visited the home, Neumayer said, and Medina denied having that many cats. The next day, he called Pina and told him he needed help removing the cats from his home. Neumayer said Medina told officers he did not know how many cats there were in the home because he could not catch them. His estimate was between 40 and 50 cats.
Morgan Hill police Det. Ken Howard coordinated the effort to remove the cats from the home. Along with special operations, other agencies involved in the removal included Town Cats, City of Morgan Hill Code Enforcement, the Santa Clara County Fire Department, Adult Protective Services and the homeowners themselves.
Friends of the residents who did not want to be identified said they are concerned for the family and are glad the situation is being resolved.
Town Cats, a non-profit organization that is not affiliated with the city but aims to help place cats for adoption and fostering as well as taking in feral cats, is hoping the community will consider adopting the cats brought in and helping the shelter with donations of cat litter, food or cash. Volunteers are also welcome. Anyone who is interested in donating, adopting or volunteering can visit the Web site at www.towncats.org.
Marilyn Dubil Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or send her an email.
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Feline hoarding in town
