22 Cats Displaced by Hopatcong House Fire Need New Homes

The Hopatcong Pound is looking to the community to help rehouse more than 20 feline companions displaced by a house fire at Akron Place earlier this month that killed dozens of other cats.

Wendy Ciardi of the Hopatcong Pound told nj.com that the pound received the call at 10:30 p.m. the day of the fire, which is believed to have been caused when an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s Disease threw a lit cigarette into a garbage can, and stayed out until 1 a.m. transporting the cats to the facility.

The elderly woman involved in the house fire had approximately 40 cats. It is believed that six to 12 other cats that were not killed by the blaze or recovered by responders fled the house.

Ciardi said that cats in hoarding situations typically have a difficult time interacting with new people at first, but none of the 22 rescues are exhibiting that behavior.

“They are all really sweet cats,” she said.

These new rescues added to the 32 cats already in the pound in need of homes. The community response and influx of donations have been incredible, Ciardi said.

Persons interested in helping out may contact the pound at 973-479-3659 or Hopatcongpoundproject@hotmail.com to see what items are needed or find adoption information.

For more on the facility, visit the Hopatcong Pound Facebook page.