Multiple animal welfare groups have come together to help save the lives of more than 50 cats hoarded in a Stroud Township house.

Boost4Paws in Stroudsburg, Blue Mountain Animal Rescue — Cat Cottage in Snydersville, the Center for Animal Health and Welfare in Easton, and the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe have each stepped in to help.

Donna Krum, the president of Blue Mountain Animal Rescue, said the owner of the house sold it in December, and left the cats behind. There were about 70 cats in the house, but at least 10 were removed since December.

“It’s a sad situation what’s going on,” Krum said and explained that there are cases of animal hoarding and neglect every year.

“If you see it, report it. Help with it, and hold the people accountable,” she said.

On Thursday, animal rescuers were able to count 57 cats. Krum said, but she anticipates there are probably more hiding in the three-story house.

“They will go up under the couches; they’ll go up in the drawers. They’ll find a way to hide,” Krum said.

The house also has multiple holes in the dry wall, which would enable the cats to hide from the rescuers in the walls.

“When you go into a hoarding situation like this and there’s holes in the wall, you add 10 to 15,” Krum said.

Rescuing the cats isn’t going to be easy. They can’t just be put into crates and taken to shelters. The cats could have multiple health issues from parasites to illnesses that would prevent them from being introduced to the populations in animal shelters.

For that reason, the volunteers have begun cleaning out the top floor of the house in order to house the cats according to age and health.

“They cleaned up two rooms and made a makeshift shelter for right now,” Krum said.

They also plan to take groups of multiple cats to veterinarians for health assessments and treatment. Eight cats were taken to a veterinarian Thursday.

“Last night, the bill was over $1,100 for eight cats,” Krum said.

The animal rescuers are in desperate need of supplies and welcome donations of money to help cover the medical costs and other needed items. Financial donations can be made through Boost4Paws at https://www.boost4paws.com/donate.com.

“The blankets are filthy; the towels are filthy. What would improve the situation would be to get clean, fresh blankets and sheets,” Krum said.

Some of the supplies that are needed include:

• Cleaning supplies — garbage bags, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, disinfectant spray, dish soap, plastic storage tubs, Nitrile disposable gloves, and shoe covers.

• Cat supplies — Animal beds and cushions, litter boxes, food dishes, dry and wet cat food, litter of all types, animal crates, animal carriers, humane animal traps for feral cats.

• Linens — new or gently used blankets, comforters, any size sheets, towels, hand towels, dish towels.

• Cat toys and trees, and scratching posts.

“I did not notice any toys up there. They need something to get some normalcy in that situation,” Krum said. “It’s a rule of rescue: three days, three weeks, three months. Three days until their stress level goes down. Three weeks until they know a schedule. And three months until they are pretty much settled.”

Krum said she knows there are cats there that are too sick to survive, but there also are “a lot of very friendly ones, which is a plus.”

In addition to donations from people or businesses, Krum said they need volunteers. They need people who are willing to take the cats to the veterinarians, and vet professionals and technicians who could lend a hand in helping with the medical assessments. And they would appreciate a donation of feline combo tests for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.

Donated supplies can be dropped off at Blue Mountain Animal Rescue Society’s Cat Cottage at 128 Brainerd Lane, Building 1, Stroudsburg. It is located at Camp Papillon Animal Shelter. A large donation box is in the front and donations can be left on the porch.

The Cat Cottage is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.