CROSBY, Minn. (FOX 9) – Thursday was an exhausting, emotional day for state and local investigators in central Minnesota, as they moved in, search warrant in hand, after receiving reports of animal cruelty, animal neglect and animal hoarding at a small home in Crosby, Minnesota. 

Hours later, officials left with 102 cats. The animals were transported via trailer to the Tri-County Humane Society.

“Some of them are in really bad shape, and some of them are very old and sickly. We were not able to save all of them,” Tri-County Humane Society Executive Director Marit Ortega told FOX 9 on Saturday.

85 of 102 cats were recovered, while eight were found dead in the home, and nine more had to be euthanized immediately. Now, anyone in the Crosby area that’s had a cat go missing in the last decade is encouraged to email a photo and description of the cat here. 

“There’s all kinds of cats: long hair domestic, short hair, Siamese looking cats, tabby’s, orange, and white,” Ortega said.

So far, two recovered cats have been found to have microchips, and employees were able to reunite one with its owner, after seven years apart. Still, there are many more cats without a home, and they could be up for adoption as soon as Wednesday.

“They started moving furniture and more cats were coming out, opening doors and there were more and more cats,” Ortega explained. “It got to the point where they were just loading cats up from this house. They weren’t counting, they were just loading them up, and they didn’t even know how many they had.”

Employees worked late into the night vaccinating cats, treating for fleas and dehydration, and using antibiotics for many upper respiratory infections. Every cage and kennel in the shelter is now occupied.

It’s unclear if the person living in the home with the cats will be criminally charged.

The Tri-County Humane Society is asking the public for donations of cat food, litter, or money for medication, neutering and more. Donations can be made here.