KELLOGG —  An influx of felines had the Silver Valley Cat Wranglers scrambling for resources, human or otherwise.  

According to Wrangler President Rene Gilbert, an eviction from an apartment in Kellogg in July resulted in the group taking control of 15 of the 22 cats that had been living there.  

Gilbert said two kittens died, one escaped, and the other handful was taken in by someone else, leaving 15 to fend for themselves. While they had been made aware of the situation previously, they were bound by law to wait until the legal eviction before they could go in.  

“We knew in June, but we couldn’t do anything,” Gilbert said. “Our hands were tied. We can’t just go into someone’s house or onto their property and take their cats.”  

All 15 have been spayed or neutered, and roughly half have been examined by a veterinarian.  

Meanwhile, Gilbert said other situations in the Silver Valley pushed that number toward 30 cats or kittens that require the group’s attention, almost 30% of the total amount of animals they worked with last year.  

“We’re drowning in cats, and drowning in bills,” Gilbert said.  

The group raises money to cover operations most of the year, but the sudden amount of cats has overwhelmed their budget and their volunteers. 

Gilbert said they are scrambling to place the cats either in foster care or permanent homes, while also trying to make sure all of them receive medical attention.  

“Our fundraising has always been successful, but when you suddenly have this many cats, you just can’t keep up,” Wrangler Juli Zook said.  

Gilbert and Zook ask anyone who can help with fostering, adopting or donating to reach out to them.  

Info: Silver Valley Cat Wranglers at 208-446-7131, Juli Zook at 208-659-1764, or Rene Gilbert at 208-512-2173.