3 Cats Found Crammed Into Cage In West Orange, Adopters Needed

WEST ORANGE, NJ — “Who does this?” That was the reaction from an animal welfare group in West Orange after finding three young cats crammed into a disgusting cage and abandoned on the side of a road.

West Orange TNVR, a nonprofit based in Essex County, recently posted a social media alert about the cats, which were found on Sept. 11 on Columbia Street. The nonprofit wrote:

“Found on Columbia 3 young cats in a crate soaked in urine and fecal. Who does this, so heartbreaking. Somebody opened it up and put French fries in there and now we are gathering them up. Seem friendly. We desperately need a foster.”

The cats are now resting comfortably and cleaned up, and one of them – “Bruce” – has landed a temporary foster home. But the need for a foster family – or an adopter – is still urgent, the nonprofit said in an update on Thursday:

“Wayne, Vladamir & Bruce. The three cats that were found in a crate on Columbia Street. They are all cleaned, boy did they stink. Nails are clipped and today they were neutered and tested negative for FIV/FELV. All good news, but I still need a foster for two. We will never know what these boys went through but they are soooo sweet and deserve a better life. Please help us help them. Please share.”

It isn’t the first time that West Orange TNVR has run up against a hard-luck case of kitties in Essex County. Since launching in 2016, the group has helped to spay/neuter and adopt out more than 2,000 cats and kittens.

According to the group’s website, West Orange's trap-neuter-vaccinate-return-manage (TNR for short) is a program through which feral cats are:

• Humanely trapped
• Spayed or neutered
• Treated for existing medical conditions and vaccinated
• Returned to their outdoor colony

Caregivers help maintain the colony's health by feeding and monitoring the cats to ensure they remain healthy, and that the area in which they live remains safe and pest-free. They also seek to socialize young kittens by placing them into foster homes for eventual adoption.

“If you know of any outdoor cats or kittens in the West Orange area and need our assistance, or you are looking to adopt one of our adorable fosters, please reach out to us at WOTNVR@gmail.com,” the group states on their website. The nonprofit has also resumed its adoption events at Petco in Verona from noon to 3 p.m. on Sundays.

Learn more about adopting cats through the group here.

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