[imagesource:gencraftai]

Bruce Robinson is just a kind-hearted guy who got in a little over his head.

The Canadian began taking in homeless kittens during the COVID pandemic but ended up in a ‘crazy situation’ after his home was eventually filled with more than 300 cats.

Described himself as being “overwhelmed”, the poor guy had to be rescued himself by a local charity after he began struggling to secure the resources needed to care for all the kittens and cats – all of them seemingly in good condition.

The charity had sent staff to his home in the small town of Houston to assess the situation, said Eileen Drever of the BC SPCA.

“When asked how many cats he had, he said it was like counting bubbles in boiling water.”

The cats were sociable and seemed to be in good condition, she told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “You know, he had a huge heart, and he was caring for them,” she said. “And then they just kept multiplying. One cat can have three litters in a year.”

Robinson estimated that the number of cats in his home had swelled to 298, including 15 pregnant cats who were expected to deliver in the coming days.

“I made a bad decision … I thought I could handle the cats.”

He had tried to give away the cats but with little luck. Instead, he found himself spending thousands of dollars a month – at times going without food himself – to ensure they had the 28kg of food a day they needed and to buy cat litter for their 10 litter boxes.

He said he had named each one of the cats. “I love every one of them,” he said. “I wanted to give them a safe home.”

Drever said the SPCA was racing to raise funds and find a building capable of housing the cats while they are assessed by a veterinarian, vaccinated and spayed or neutered before being put up for adoption at centres across the province.

“This is a huge undertaking and it’s going to take resources from around the province to bring these animals in,” she said.

In the meantime, SPCA staff were helping to provide food, supplies and litter for the cats. “He had, the other day, between 70 and 80 newborn kittens,” she said. “That’s why we need to move as quickly as we can.”

“Kudos to him for recognising he was overwhelmed.”

It also appeared that he had done his best to care for the animals, even as their population rocketed. “I have never seen so many cats in good condition, they appear to all be in good condition,” she said. “And the fact that they’re sociable is incredible. It’s quite shocking, actually.”

One can only imagine the smell. No issues with rodents though.

[source:guardian]