Over 50 Ragdoll and British Shorthair cats rescued from California breeder, cops say
More than 50 Ragdoll and British Shorthair cats and kittens were rescued from a California breeder accused of not taking proper care of them, officials said.
Someone anonymously tipped off Irvine Police Animal Services that dozens of cats were living in a single home on Garnet Street inside a gated community, the department said in a news release and KTLA reported.
Officers discovered that the resident was breeding the cats and selling them for up to $1,000 a pop, and that some of them looked malnourished or showed other signs of poor health, officials said.
Irvine police spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp told KTLA the breeds are expensive and unique. It’s “illegal to keep more than three cats in a home,” the station reported.
The cats were spread out in crates across two rooms in the home and “ranged from brand newborn kittens to adults that were pregnant,” Oldoerp told KCAL News. After one of the pregnant cats gave birth, the number jumped to over 60 cats, the station reported.
The breeder released the cats to Irvine Animal Care Center, where staff started giving the cats medical treatment, officials said. It will take some time before the cats are well enough for adoption.
The center will post the cats online at irvineanimals.org/adopt when they’re available for adoption.
The department is working with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to investigate the case and so far has not yet filed charges. Anyone with information should email Animal Services Supervisor Hope Darrow at hdarrow@cityofirvine.org.
This story was originally published August 23, 2024 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Over 50 Ragdoll and British Shorthair cats rescued from California breeder, cops say."
