Published: Just now
22 cats have been found outdoors in Kalix – several of them frozen in the ice.
Who left them there is unclear.
– A cat had frozen with one leg in a branch. It is so incredibly tragic, says Camilla Zerpe Karlsson at Kattakuten in Kalix.
Since last Saturday, a large number of cats have been found in distress in the Kalix area, something like SVT Norrbotten previously reported on.
Camilla Zerpe Karlsson at Kattakuten in Kalix received the first call at 10pm on Saturday evening.
– I thought it was urgent when it rang so late. The callers said they had found some cats frozen to a snowmobile track then, she says.
The cats were placed with a volunteer who took them into his home. Since then, Camilla Zerpe Karlsson’s phone has been running hot.
– A total of 22 cats have been found. As recently as yesterday morning, several were found at a school, she says, and continues:
– Several of them have been frozen in the ice in the snow. A cat had frozen with one leg stuck in a branch. It is so incredibly tragic, she says.
Two were found dead
The cats found are of different ages, in different places in Kalix municipality. Many of them are in very poor condition and two cats have been found dead by a snowmobile trail.
– There have been some young cats and they are very thin. We are investigating how many people need veterinary care. The important thing now is that they get food and water and a safe place.
Never been more about the like
The cat shelter in Kalix is used to receiving cats that need help – but Camilla Zerpe Karlsson says they have never experienced anything like this before.
– It is terrible. We have never seen so many people in need come in at once.
She also says that many people have reached out and offered help.
– People have been incredibly helpful already. We have brought in a large group of volunteers who can take cats in, so that we can relieve this collection point that we have. People call and offer a space and that they can take cats in temporarily, says Camilla Zerpe Karlsson.
What happened to the cats before they were found is unclear.
– We don’t want to speculate on it now, but we concentrate on helping these poor cats, and helping them urgently, she says.