Two children and 110 cats were removed from a woman's home in Santa Ana after neighbors called authorities to report a foul odor coming from the home.
The two children, 7 and 12, were taken from the home by Child Protective Services, reported the OC Register.
It took authorities five hours to collect all of the cats from the home, which was covered in feces in urine.
Most of the cats taken from the home have since been adopted, but 17 had to be euthanized because of health or behavioral issues.
The animals were being fostered by the homeowner, who was the founder of a rescue operation called Cat Connection Rescue Network, Inc.
"We are all greatly saddened by this situation, especially after all the hard work and dedication that went into the rescue and rehabilitation of these animals," president of CCRN, Jillianne Richards, said in a statement.
"As a rescuer, this is the nightmare scenario that every one of us dreads," she continued.
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Richards also noted that the woman took good care of the cats, and even adopted out 26 in January. An Orange County Animal Care employee suspects that the tough economy contributed to the amassing of the cats in the woman's home.
The shelter says approximately 20 cats are still waiting to be adopted, and invite anyone to come down and see them.
