POMONA PARK, Fla. — A rescue group taking care of feral cats in Duval and Putnam counties reports more of them have died from apparent poisoning.
First Coast News first brought you the exclusive story earlier this month of the cats' deaths. Now, more of the cats in Putnam County have reportedly died.
The rescue groups are now asking for help to trap the cats so that they can be relocated from Pomona Park to Northeast Jacksonville. That's where another rescue volunteer has said they will care for the cats.
“They’re coming out because they’re hungry," Charise Maulver said. "Some of them haven’t eaten for days."
Maulver has been caring for community cats for 10 years and is now burying many of them instead in a pet cemetery in her backyard. The memorial grows with more names on crosses.
“It’s devastating," Maulver said. "I can’t talk about it because I’m going to cry. It’s just really sad. There’s so many other ways it could have been handled.”
A nonprofit organization, Feline Canopy of Care, is helping to care for the community cats.
“There are about 30, 40, 50 cats who have disappeared," said Chell Norton with Feline Canopy of care. "About 15 cats have been poisoned, and now wildlife has been affected. We found a dead squirrel that looks like it was poisoned."
Norton believes the animals have been poisoned because of the bloated state they were found in and a lack of insects and birds on their bodies.
“Normally the poisons that people use are something like rat poison or antifreeze, and that’s a very slow, tortured death process," Norton said. "It takes a long time for them to die, and there are obvious signs that they have been poisoned.”
The rescue organization put up surveillance cameras Thursday and has signs posted where some of the dead cats have been found on a property. The sign lets people know it's a trap, neuter, release colony.
“If this person comes back and tries to put the poison out, we’ll get him on camera," Norton said.
Maulver prays the video cameras can catch whoever is apparently poisoning the cats and leaving their kittens orphaned until the rescue can get them to safety.
“Every night, we used to ride through there, and you’d see all these little eyes light up, and it’s so sad because now there’s not any," Maulver said.
The rescue has purchased a shed where some of the cats and kittens will live for about a month before being released in Northeast Jacksonville.
Click here for more information on Feline Canopy of Care and how you can help.