Jasper bylaw has removed 23 cats from a Cavell apartment in what officials are calling the biggest domestic animal removal in town history.

Officers took the cats from the one bedroom apartment on Tues, Dec. 8 after receiving a tip about the animals. The owners, whose identity has not been released, co-operated with the officers in handing over the cats, who will now be adopted out. The Hinton SPCA has agreed to take the cats and are looking for donations. In the meantime, Doug Rodwell, bylaw manager, hopes bylaw can adopt out some of the cats.

Rodwell said the apartment was clean and the cats appear to be in good health, however the owners were simply unable to care for that number of felines.

No charges have been laid in the incident thus far, as Jasper does not have a cap on the number of animals one can keep in a home.

“But this amplifies the need to get your cat spayed or neutered,” Rodwell said.

The cats range in age from four weeks old to grown adults. According to Adrienne Clay, an animal health technologist with the Jasper Veterinary Clinic, the cats are in good health considering the conditions.

“They all look related. There are two litters of four-week-old kittens and another batch of four-month-old kittens,” Clay said, noting it’s the highest number of cats the clinic has seen at one time.

Cats are capable of having three litters a year and five to six kittens in each litter. According to SPCA numbers, at that rate, if left unchecked, two cats could produce 80 million cats over 10 years.

Veterinarian Dr. Janet Jones called the situation “irresponsible” and said the case highlights the need to spay and neuter pets.

“This is not the way to have pets and look after them. They were beyond their means. You can’t just let them breed and breed and breed,” Dr. Jones said.

Cats don’t like to live in such large groups and such a situation can cause diseases to be spread.

“They’re inter-breeding and it’s easier to spread a good number of serious diseases,” Dr. Jones said. “Three viruses  are spread that way. They are quite devastating and can cause death.”

Since the cats will end up in the SPCA, other cats will end up being euthanized, Dr. Jones said. The Edmonton SPCA euthanizes three cats a day on average, and those who contribute to overpopulation contribute to those deaths, she said.

Dr. Jones has seen large numbers of cats before, but only in barns near Valemount. Having such a large number of cats can result in property damage as well, as she recalls a situation where a pet owner had to give up their cats, who ended up destroying the house.

“The house had to be condemned,” Dr. Jones said.

Dr. Jones said if you can’t afford to spay or neuter your pet, you shouldn’t own the pet. In Jasper, neutering a cat costs $89 while spaying a cat costs $189. The clinic will work out payment plans for those who can’t afford the operation. The SPCA often offers discounts for the operation.

However she discourages those who can’t handle the financial burden from getting a pet in the first place.

“If you find you’re in financial difficulty, think about not getting a pet,” Dr. Jones said.