Cornish Rex - Ishpeming

Here is a brief example of some of the conditions these cats lived in prior to coming to the MCHS. Click on a photo to view a full-sized version...

One of many cages stacked up to the ceiling and very dirty

A Rex in a dark cage near the floor with very unsanitary conditions

Another example of the living conditions of these cats

This is Jarod hours after having his overgrown nails cut out from his paw pads. You can see the holes that were left in his pads. Jarod could have been spared a lot of pain and discomfort with a simple nail trim.

This is Frank after several weeks of medical treatment. He was eventually diagnosed with Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, and an auto immune disorder among other problems. Frank came to us weighing less than half of his ideal body weight. He had no known vet care prior to coming to the MCHS.

This is Yola with her rapidly growing mammary tumor. She had not been seen by a vet for this problem prior to coming to the MCHS. Note also the deformity to her left front paw. Yola was also diagnosed with a grade 5 heart murmur.

Following a request for assistance from the Michigan State Police who were investigating the complaint, seventy-eight purebred Cornish Rex cats and three Rat Terrier pups were removed from the Ishpeming home of Grace Aalto-Rosenbaum, who was operating Cascading Rex cattery, and Louis Rosenbaum.

These animals were held as evidence in a criminal neglect case. The Rosenbaums were charged with ten counts of animal cruelty. In a plea agreement, the Rosenbaums pled no contest to one count of animal cruelty. As part of the judgment, they forfeited all ownership interest in the 78 cats and 3 pups, and they agreed to pay $13,964.31 which represented veterinary care, staff time and transport for the seizure of the animals, and only 25% of sheltering costs incurred as of the date of the agreement.

The cats arrived in our shelter with many health problems that have been diagnosed (after much medical testing) as bartonella, panleukopenia, calicivirus, and ringworm, among others. More information about these medical problems can be found below. The cats are also predisposed to dental problems and most will need to have regular dental cleanings throughout their lives. Many of the cats have had bladder infections, thought to be due to the filthy conditions in which they lived. One cat had the toenails on his front feet grown so long they had grown into the bottoms of his foot pads. Internal parasites including roundworms and coccidia were found in many of the cats. All of these problems were highly preventable with normal care including nail trims, regular cleaning of their housing, and annual vaccinations and vet checks.

All but a few of the cats lived in wire cages, many for their entire lives. This has led to some behavior issues including cats that do not tolerate being out of their cages. Many of the cats were without water or had water that they refused to drink because it was full of debris and bugs. This led to a few cats that will now drink every bit of clean water that is put in front of them, presumably thinking that they may be without again at any time. A few other cats have become so used to not having water available that they don't drink any water that is offered. They have learned to cope without water despite the health problems this causes.

Over the course of several months many of the cats and all three dogs were placed in new homes. There was an outpouring of support from across the country including families that wanted to adopt these dear cats. With careful screening and by matching potential homes to individual cat temperaments, many of the cats were able to find new loving families. All adopters traveled to the MCHS shelter (or met a representative that traveled to an area closer to their home) to adopt (and sometimes choose) their cat(s), and the cats traveled to their new homes with their new caregivers. Most went by car, but a few adventurous folks took their new friends in the cabin of an airplane with them to their new homes.

Unfortunately, some of the cats were too sick to recover by the time they arrived at the MCHS. Despite extensive medical treatment, medications and love some of these cats would never get better and were humanely euthanized. Other cats had severe aggression problems and could not safely be handled. They were kept clean and comfortable throughout the court proceedings, but after no improvement over the course of several weeks these cats were also humanely euthanized.

The rescue, rehabilitation and placement of these cats was a group effort and we would like to thank all those that had a hand in it. Without the dedicated care of two local veterinarians, Dr. Dawn Sheffield of the Animal Medical Center of Marquette, and Dr. Jean Wilcox of the Gwinn Sawyer Veterinary Clinic, we would not have been able to place these cats up for adoption. Both of these doctors and their staff went above and beyond with the care of these cats.

The good samaritan who reported this situation to the police is to be commended. We cannot help those that we don't know about. The Michigan State Police Troopers and the Marquette County Prosecutors Office were extremely helpful in the prosecution of the owners and in gaining relatively quick ownership of the cats.

The MCHS staff that were assigned to care for these cats worked around the clock the first few weeks and continued to work tirelessly until the last Rex was placed. These dedicated employees risked their own health by exposing themselves to Bartonella and Ringworm, and also received some severe scratches and bites while handling the more fractious cats. The staff and volunteers at the shelter were left shorthanded for several months while their co-workers were caring for the Cornish Rex. They pitched in and kept the shelter running smoothly during this stressful time. All of them deserve a big pat on the back.

The MCHS Board of Directors are owed thanks for allowing the knowledgeable staff to make the right decisions for the cats, which allowed for the placement of a large number of them.

We had to house these cats away from our regular shelter to ensure that the shelter cats were not exposed to all the sickness and due to sheer numbers. If you've visited our shelter you know that we could not fit an extra 78 cats in that building. The landlord of our rented shelter helped us to expidite the process and move in quickly. Duquaine, Inc. helped by getting our temporary shelter heated. Cats in this condition and with these coats cannot tolerate even summer evening temperatures in the Upper Penninsula.

For her advice and assistance in promoting these cats we would like to thank Greta Huls of the Rexphiles (www.rexphiles.com).

To all the people who sent donations, please know that they were put to good use and we and the cats appreciated every penny. The housing and medical care of these cats came at a great cost to the shelter.

And, finally, we would like to thank the cats. For being patient with us, for being brave enought to trust people after learning first hand that humans couldn't always be trusted, and for reminding us why we were working so tirelessly. These cats are amazing testaments to the resiliancy of our animal friends. May they never know another day of sickness, thirst, lonliness, pain, or fright in their lives.

If you'd like to learn more about the health problems that plagued this group read below.

Panleukopenia, or feline distemper, is a highly preventable disease in cats. Read more about panleukopenia from the Winn Feline Foundation and the American Veterinary Medical Association. Some cats can become carriers of this disease and pass it on to other susceptible (unvaccinated, ill, or very young) cats.

Calicivirus is an upper respiratory virus which can cause pneumonia or even death. (Read more about Calicivirus). Calicivirus can also be carried by recovered, apparently healthy cats and can be spread for a period of time to other cats.

Ringworm is a fungal infection of the skin. This is a zoonotic disease which means it can be transmitted to humans as well as other pets. (Read more about ringworm.) Once the ringworm treatment is complete the cats should be free from the fungus unless they are re-exposed through other animals or their environment.