The Florida Humane Society in Broward County suffered a major flood late last month, and shelter workers are pointing an accusatory finger at the cats.
Originally, Humane Society officials suspected a burst pipe, but upon further investigation, they came to the conclusion that one curious kitty was the culprit. They said that the water had come from a faucet in the cat room, which had been turned on and left running for nearly 17 hours.
“We can’t be sure which cat did it, because we don’t have cameras in there, but we have a good idea because there was one younger female cat who really liked playing in sinks,” reported shelter volunteer Terry Arbour. “There was a tall spout in that sink that moves around, and the cat somehow was able to turn it on. It’s possible there was collusion from others, but she probably had something to do with it.”
According to Carol Ebert, Florida Humane Society president, the cats remained safe in their beds, avoiding the water building up below them. None of the 30 cats present at the time of the flood were harmed.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the interior of the facility. Three to four inches of standing water damaged floors, cabinets, and walls and ruined bags of cat food and kitty litter that were stored in the hallway.
A spokesperson for the shelter reported that the building sustained $5,000 worth of damage. The average cost of a residential water damage insurance claim is $6,965, so one could argue that it could have been much worse.
The cats have since been moved, so the mess can be cleaned up. Humane Society officials are asking the community for assistance in the form of donations to complete renovations and replenish supplies.
“It’s quite a mess,” said Arbour. “And we can’t imagine what our next water bill is going to look like.”
Meanwhile, the suspected feline, a six-month-old kitten, has since been adopted.
