People living on a rural road in Beamsville say they’re happy action is finally being taken regarding a home that has been infested with up to 60 cats for the past couple of years.

A group of volunteers roamed through the property for hours looking for cats they think are strays. But neighbours say the cats do have an owner, an the elderly woman who doesn’t live at the home anymore but stops by occasionally to drop off food and water.

“We’re trying to round them all up and basically get them to a vet, get them taken care of and get them re-homed.”

According to the Lincoln County Humane Society, while their hearts are in the right place, volunteers can’t just take other people’s pets. But neighbours are applauding the action, something they’ve been requesting for years.

The SPCA says that they’ve been aware of the situation for quite some time but admit it hadn’t become a health issue until recently.

“We only have jurisdiction over the cats in distress if the majority of them are not then we can’t do anything.”

The SPCA says they can introduce the owner to rescue groups in order to round up the healthy cats for adoption. They will continue to investigate the situation and say the owner of the cats may have to foot the bill for the upcoming medical procedures for the cats and could possibly face charges.