It's going to be a long road ahead for the Siamese cats rescued from a Sarnia residence in early November.
Sarnia and District Humane Society Executive Director Donna Pyette said roughly 70 cats came into their care, and although they were all technically housed, they are all feral.
"Some are being recolonized through some of our partners that took them on, but the hope is that most of them will be adopted," Pyette said.
However, Pyette also said she realizes it's "a hard ask" for people to adopt these cats as they do need to be resocialized.
"It's not like you can just throw them in your home and they'll use the litter box. It doesn't work that way," she said. "It's a whole series of things that have to happen to ensure they reacclimate into a home environment."
The good news is that one of the cats was adopted this past weekend.
Those interested in adopting would be properly educated and prepared on what to expect. Operations Manager Nicole King will oversee the process.
"When they first came in, we got a ton of applications," Pyette said. "Nicole called back every single one of them, had those conversations, and one got adopted. It's not going to be an easy acclimate for them. You have to be full-in to say, 'okay, I'm willing to take that on and this is what it's going to entail.'"
The cats range in age from approximately one to four years old. Pyette said they were surprised there were no kittens.
The local agency posted a video to Facebook Tuesday night, thanking the Toronto Humane Society, Hamilton/Burlington Humane Society, OSPCA, York Region Humane Society, Humane Society of London-Middlesex, Lambton Cat Rescue, and Provincial Animal Welfare Services for their help during the removal process and willingness to provide housing for some of the cats.
"I would also like to take this moment to recognize that while the situation grew beyond the owner's capacity to care, their motives were rooted in compassion rather than neglect," Pyette said in the video.
Resources are available for those who feel overwhelmed with the number of pets they're responsible for.
Pyette was the guest speaker at Tuesday's Kiwanis Club of Sarnia-Lambton Golden K meeting.
