By Marci Izard
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (Abc40) -- Springfield's MSPCA rescued over 40 cats from a home in Palmer Tuesday afternoon.
The 43 felines are being tested and cared for by the agency. They were collected after a concerned neighbor called to report a foul smell.
Pam Peebles of the MSPCA says this is a classic case of hoarding. But she says the family was eager for help.
"The family who took care of these cats made it really easy for us. We have great hope for them that this situation is fixed."
Peebles says some of the cats are too sick and reclusive for adoption, but she hopes about 30 of them will find a home. Three will be spayed and go back home to Palmer.
Dr. Ben Liptzin, the chair of Psychiatry for Baystate Medical Center, says hoarding is a form of obsessive compulsive disorder. He called cases of this magnitude rare and extreme.
Anyone interested in adopting a cat -most of them are under four months old- can call the MSPCA at (413) 736 - 2992.
