Cats rescued from N.C.

Cat Rescue

Video

Youngstown's Cat Lady Society rescued 15 cats from North Carolina to Youngstown last week - the cats are ready for adoption at the Mahoning Ave. Shelter .

Photo by: Robert K. Yosay

Photo

Maria Guyan, Cat Ladies Society director, is seen here with Charley, one of the rescued cats. He's one of 15 cats that was rescuede.

By Jon Moffett

More than 600 miles and 10 hours separate Youngstown and St. Paul, N.C.

But the two cities are connected by an unlikely link: 15 cats.

Maria Guyan, shelter director of the Youngstown Cat Ladies Society, a no-kill shelter at 2616 Mahoning Ave., was surfing the Internet and stumbled upon a surprising ad for cats on Craigslist. An employee at the Robeson County Animal Shelter accidentally posted an advertisement on the Internet classified network for Youngstown instead of St. Paul.

Guyan said the action may have been more than a mistake.

“It was fate,” Guyan said. “I mean, what are the chances of someone hitting the button for a place so far away?”

Jeff Bass, Robeson County Animal Shelter director, said he didn’t know how the post was accidentally labeled for Youngstown.

“Our animals are placed on a list on a weekly basis,” Bass said. “I’m not entirely sure how the mix-up was made. But someone in Youngstown saw that we had these cats on the list and called about getting them.”

Guyan called the Robeson County shelter on a Friday and was informed the animals would be euthanized the following Monday. Guyan organized a group of volunteers in four states to help transport the cats from the shelter to Youngstown.

“When I saw the post, I knew we would want to help. The biggest problem was finding a way to get them from there to here,” Guyan said. “We knew it was a long shot. When people began stepping up, we were shocked, but it was exactly what we needed.”

The cats, ranging in age from a week to 3 years old, arrived in Youngstown on May 9. Of the 15 cats, eight were adults, including two mothers and two litters of kittens. The adult cats were taken to the vet the next day for tests and were spayed or neutered and checked for disease.

Guyan said each cat passed the tests, which was surprising.

“We expected to get at least a couple that weren’t adoptable, but it turns out they all were,” she said.

One of the cats has been adopted, but Guyan is confident that all of them will soon find a good home. Until then, the cats remain at the shelter with about 30 other cats, Guyan said.

Bass said the cats were fortunate because many others aren’t as lucky. Many of the dogs and cats at the Robeson County shelter are euthanized before new owners can be found.

“I’m glad that they were able to do that because not a lot of folks can,” Bass said. “I’m very thankful they were able to do that.”

Members of the Cat Ladies Society are all volunteers. The shelter is funded strictly through donations, Guyan said. The shelter also sells garage sale-type odds and ends, cat toys and other novelty items, which are donated to the shelter, Guyan said. All proceeds go toward caring for the cats.

Adult cats cost $30, which includes all the shots and veterinary fees, Guyan said. Cats age 6-12 months are $60 and those under 6 months are $70. For more information on the cats, or to adopt or support the shelter, contact Guyan at (330) 261-6162.

jmoffett@vindy.com