47 cats rescued from ‘sweltering heat’ inside vehicle at Minnesota rest stop

HARRIS, Minn. — Animal rescuers worked with police in Minnesota to rescue dozens of cats from a vehicle at a rest stop.

The Animal Humane Society said in a news release that the 47 cats had been living in the vehicle with an owner for an extended period. AHS said that an additional 14 cats were surrendered to a separate rescue organization before its rescue on Tuesday.

47 cats rescued from ‘sweltering heat’ inside vehicle at Minnesota rest stop The cats, which ranged in age from less than a year to 12 years old, can be seen filling the vehicle's windshield in a photo shared by rescuers. (Animal Humane Society)

AHS officials said the cats range in age from less than a year to more than 12 years old, and despite the “sweltering heat” and unsanitary conditions inside the vehicle where they were living, most of the cats appear to only have minor medical issues.

47 cats rescued from ‘sweltering heat’ inside vehicle at Minnesota rest stop The Animal Humane Society worked with the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office and Minnesota State Patrol to remove the cats. (Animal Humane Society)

“Once any medical and behavior issues have been addressed, the cats will be sterilized and made available for adoption,” Mary Tan, spokesperson for the Animal Humane Society, told the Star-Tribune.

The Animal Humane Society worked with the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office and Minnesota State Patrol to remove the cats, KSTP reported.

47 cats rescued from ‘sweltering heat’ inside vehicle at Minnesota rest stop Two of the cats rescued from the vehicle. (Animal Humane Society)

Despite the conditions the cats were living in, investigators for AHS said the animals were not mistreated by their owner.

“He loved those cats and had a name for every one of them,” Ashley Pudas, a Humane Society investigator, told the Star-Tribune. “Those were his babies.”