Shelters in Loveland and Evans are stretched thin after taking in dozens upon dozens of cats pulled from three separate hoarding situations across Northern Colorado since August. NOCO Humane says the animals arrived in waves, some from unsanitary conditions with insufficient food or water, some requiring surgery, and all needing evaluation before they could be considered for adoption.
According to reporterherald.com, NOCO Humane last month took in at least 125 cats from the three hoarding situations, though CBS News reported the total at 134 cats rescued from three separate suspected hoarding situations. The two outlets differ slightly on the overall count, but agree the cases unfolded in rapid succession and pushed the organization's resources to their limits.
The first and largest group came after a Severance resident with dozens of cats died in mid-August, leaving behind 46 cats that needed somewhere to go. That same week, the Loveland shelter took in another 42 cats from a suspected hoarding situation, and an owner surrendered 37 more cats to the Evans shelter between September 11 and September 16, per the same account from the Reporter-Herald.
A Shelter System Pushed to Its Limits
NOCO Humane CEO Cynthia Setel said the organization took in 108 cats in just five weeks before an additional 17 arrived on top of that, according to the outlet's report. The Loveland location can hold up to 300 cats, while the Weld County campus can hold up to 250, according to the same Reporter-Herald account — capacity that has been tested by the back-to-back intakes.
Every animal that comes through the door gets evaluated individually, and NOCO Humane marketing and communications manager Scott Wendelberger told CBS News that the shelter can take in large numbers of animals quickly even as it strains resources. Wendelberger said the first group of kittens included about 46 cats from a home where the owner had died, consistent with the Severance case detailed separately by the Reporter-Herald.
Some of the cats arrived needing only basic care after coming from unsanitary conditions where they lacked enough food or water and competed with each other for resources, per CBS News. Others required far more intensive treatment: one cat needed to have its left eye surgically removed because of an infection tied to its previous living situation, the outlet reported.
Costs Mount as Care Continues
NOCO Humane estimates the average cost of caring for one animal is about $27 per day, according to the Reporter-Herald, a figure that adds up quickly across more than a hundred cats needing food, shelter and, in many cases, medical treatment. The organization has said it incurred significant and unplanned costs handling the cases and is accepting donations through its website to help offset the expense of preparing the cats for adoption, per CBS News.
The outcomes for the rescued cats have varied widely. Some have already been adopted, others are up for adoption now, some remain in foster care, and others are still undergoing medical treatment or behavioral support, the Reporter-Herald reported. CBS News reported that more than 40 cats from the recent cases have already found adoptive homes, and that in many situations NOCO Humane can send adopted cats home as soon as the first meeting with their new family.
Not every outcome has been positive. A few of the cats were euthanized because of severe pain that could not be effectively treated, according to the Reporter-Herald's report. Kittens currently in foster care still need time to grow, gain weight and reach adoption age before they can be placed, per CBS News.
Colorado's Broader Hoarding Problem
Colorado law requires a permit to keep more than 15 cats or dogs at a single property, according to CBS News. NOCO Humane has urged people who feel overwhelmed by a growing number of animals to seek help as early as possible, saying that doing so gives pets the best chance at a good quality of life, the Reporter-Herald reported.
Northern Colorado has seen similar strain before. In 2021, the Humane Society of Weld County took in 39 abandoned cats pulled from a hoarding situation, arriving on short notice and in poor condition, according to denvergazette.com. Elsewhere, a 2024 hoarding case reported by KKTV involved more than 130 cats, and a 2026 case in Tacoma left The News Tribune reporting more than 500 cats in that shelter's care.
NOCO Humane is evaluating each new arrival, treating cats, and working to find placements for animals in Loveland and Evans. The organization continues to care for the animals already at the shelter even as it manages the influx from the three recent hoarding cases.
