Through fear and neglect, rescued hoarded cats learning to trust again

For the 17 cats that survived a disturbing hoarding case in Kennewick, a second chance is on the horizon.

Tri-Cities Animal Services helped rescue six kittens and 11 cats from an apartment before taking them to their shelter in Pasco.

The team there, including foster coordinator Monica Noonan, are now working to prepare the cats for adoption, though their previous lifestyle left deep scars on their trust and behavior.

“Our officials had to go into the apartment and work diligently to trap a lot of these cats in order to safely remove them from the environment and keep themselves safe,” Noonan said.

All six kittens, two separate litters of three, are currently in shelter’s foster program, working to stabilize their health both physically and mentally. The 11 adult cats are in the shelter.

“The thing that we’re finding out about them is they’re just not very socialized, unfortunately,” Noonan said about the older cats. “They are having a bit of an adjustment period decompressing and adjusting to living in shelter life.”

Noonan refers to the 3-3-3 method often with the cats, meaning it can take three days, three weeks or three months for them to stabilize and become comfortable in their environment.

The cats will remain in the shelter as long as they need until they are adopted or transferred to a willing and capable sanctuary, Noonan said.

“We’re hoping that people will hear our cries and come and adopt these cats,” Noonan said. “If you are cat savvy and looking for cats, we highly recommend coming to meet some of these guys.”

Noonan said it's not required to be cat savvy to adopt them, but that they are going to require some level of rehabilitation. Patience, kindness and someone who is ready to show them the “good life” is what these cats need, according to Noonan.

All the rescued animals from Kennewick were named after household items. The first kitten found by neighbors of the property, Ottoman, is now planning to be adopted by that same family, Noonan said.

“I don’t remember all the names, but I know it was Ottoman, Couch and Sofa because they were literally pulling kittens out of the couch,” Noonan said.

Susan Reavely, 69, was arrested after officials reportedly found over 70 dead cats and kittens in her apartment last month.

She was charged with 11 counts of first-degree animal cruelty. She remains in the Benton County jail with bail set at $100,000 pending her trial.

The situation was unveiled when a neighbor in her complex at the Clearwater Bay Apartments found a live kitten in a plastic bag on a back patio. They called the property manager after finding out that was not the only one.

The rescued cats are spread among three rooms near the entry of the shelter. Each cage bares a sign reading “flight risk,” acknowledging the cats’ wants to flee and hide, as that’s all they’ve known to do.

The shelter’s page highlights all available cats and kittens for adoption, including a biography of everything to know about the animals.

The adoption fee is $50 for any animal in the shelter no matter the size, breed or backstory.