Mystery over 24 cats found abandoned in pet carriers near Cartagena

The animals were found crammed into pet carriers inside a derelict building near La Asomada and are now receiving veterinary care

Twenty-four cats abandoned in pet carriers near Cartagena have been rescued, with most already settling into foster homes while the Policía Local investigates who left them there.

The animals were found on the evening of Friday July 31 after neighbours spotted several pet carriers inside a derelict building beside the road to La Asomada. They alerted local animal welfare groups Geocat and Animur, who quickly arrived at the scene.

Inside the building were 24 cats confined to several pet carriers, with some boxes holding up to six animals. The rescue operation involved volunteers from animal welfare organisations, together with officials from the Ayuntamiento of Cartagena, Policía Local, and Protección Civil.

By 11.00pm that night, all of the cats had been safely removed and taken to a temporary area set up by Protección Civil before being assessed and cared for. As a precaution, the animals were initially kept separate while rescuers determined whether they were familiar with one another and whether they had previously lived in homes or were from feral colonies.

Veterinary teams carried out health checks over the weekend, looking for injuries, parasites and signs of illness. Some of the cats showed signs of malnutrition, while others were suffering mobility problems that are believed to have been caused by spending too long confined inside the carriers.

Although none of the cats had been neutered or treated for parasites, animal welfare groups believe their calm, friendly nature suggests they had previously lived with people rather than coming from a feral cat colony.

Policía Local have opened an investigation into the abandonment, while the animal welfare groups have announced they will file a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office so the circumstances can be investigated and any responsibility established.

The local community has already rallied behind the rescue effort. Twenty of the cats have been placed in foster homes managed by the animal welfare organisations, while the remaining four are being cared for at Cartagena Ayuntamiento's Centre for the Care and Treatment of Domestic Animals (CATAD).

Cartagena Ayuntamiento's Councillor for Health and Animal Welfare, Belén Romero, praised everyone involved in the rescue.

"Our priority from the very beginning was to make sure the animals received the care they needed. Thanks to the coordination between council services and the animal welfare groups, all 24 cats are now safe and can begin their recovery," she said.

Romero also thanked Policía Local, Protección Civil, CATAD staff, the animal welfare organisations and the volunteers who took part in the operation. Meanwhile, investigators continue working to establish who abandoned the cats and how they came to be left in such awful conditions.

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Images: Cartagena Ayuntamiento