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A large group of black-and-white cats picked up Dec. 17 from a home in Atascadero survived Christmas weekend. The 26 cats, mostly sick and seemingly wild when touched, calmed down enough to be available for adoption by the public. New Times reported in its Dec. 24 issue that local animal lovers worried the cats might be killed because the county animal shelter was close to full over the holiday weekend.
The county confiscated the cats because of unsanitary conditions at a single residence, shelter officials said. There were 27 cats originally; one was euthanized because it was too sick to survive.
Nearly all the cats are available for adoption. Two have been adopted, a rescue group acquired three or four of the wilder cats, and all the rest are available, said Andrea Liddie, shelter supervisor.
“A few have some respiratory problems, but they will be fine soon,” Liddie said. “Most of them are on the website … and they are pretty darn cute.”
The cats, most of which are listed as seven months old, are pictured on the site. They’re available for a small fee.
Liddie said the shelter has been receiving more cats than usual for this time of year, many of which are domesticated house cats brought in by owners who say they can’t afford to keep them.