10th Life Sanctuary Cats in Need of Help

On November 23rd, The 10th Life Sanctuary for Cats, a large feline rescue operation in South Florida, became the target of a rescue itself. The City of LaBelle, FL Animal Control took custody of hundreds of cats from the closed cat rescue shelter on State Road 80 east of LaBelle.

Cat Depot’s Executive Director Shelley Thayer was informed of the emergency and  agreed to accept as many cats as the Sarasota facility could accommodate.

While Cat Depot staff readied their new facility and traveled to LaBelle, preliminary assessments were done at the sanctuary by vets from the University of Florida, the Humane Society of The United States and other rescue organizations sent to the scene. Responders found nearly 600 cats living in deplorable conditions. 

The massive rescue was prompted by a YouTube posting of the cats left in the closed shelter amid filthy conditions. The story, posted by a former staffer, was picked up by a Ft. Myers TV station. The video caught scenes of  cats living in filth, many in cages that were too small, many sick and some dead or dying.

The first dozen cats arrived at Cat Depot, followed three days later by fourteen more. All are very friendly and well socialized,” said Thayer. “ A few cats had upper respiratory infections or other treatable conditions, but the majority are ready to move into loving homes.”

She continued to talk about the rescued cats. “The minute anyone walks into their room they jump up and run to the front of their cages and reach through the bars, talk and purr!

“The night they arrived, they gobbled down wet food, rolled around in their brand new soft beds and ‘made bread.’  It was incredibly heartwarming to witness. One of these gorgeous boys headed to the vet the next day when we discovered hernias in several places, but he is back from surgery and on the mend.  (Hence, the cone head in the photo.)

Thayer explained, “Like every shelter or adoption center we were full and had a waiting list when we heard about 10th Life. However, in a case like this, it takes everyone giving a little to get a whole lot done. When we opened the carriers in one of the runs, cats scrambled to get inside.  We literally had to pull them out. It was tough to leave those guys behind – which is why we headed back down to get more. We hope that other organizations will do the same.”

“With this number of animals, there is great need.  The rescue agencies hope you'll find a way to join the effort on behalf of these cats.  There are many very friendly felines that crave attention; some cats are declawed they say,” Doug Morgan, of the City of LaBelle’s Animal Shelter said in a statement.

The cats at Cat Depot are ready for adoption. Cat Depot needs donations to offset the costs of treating and caring for these potential family members.

Cat Depot will furnish new owners with information on how to best care for the cats. Health conditions that some of the cats may have had were treatable. All of the cats are neutered or spayed, microchipped, vaccinated and examined by a veterinarian.

A full list of “Clewiston Cats”  and their photos is available at www.catdepot.org/New10thLIfeCats.html