Jefferson City police said no cats have died since they were recovered from the residence of a Capital City woman last week.
Forty cats were rescued from the home of Carolyn Goyda, 58, on East Ashley Street last Thursday. Goyda has been charged with one count of misdemeanor animal abuse for failure to provide adequate care for the animals.
"Most seem to be in good shape," said Capt. Eric Wilde. "Roughly half were sick with respiratory illness and needed to be seen. After a few days at the animal shelter they are making good progress."
The shelter was closed for a day after the cats were rescued so they could be treated.
According to Jefferson City Police Department, officers with the Community Action Team responded to Goyda's residence to assist in serving a search warrant which had been issued because of a number of complaints going back to 2015 about code enforcement issues and concerns about "an excessive number of animals at or within the residence."
Jefferson City officials issued an abatement order at the home in December 2015, leading to the removal of trash and junked vehicles outside the home. The release from the JCPD notes "the complaints at the time included junk at the residence, along with strong odors and obvious lack of upkeep."
Wilde said the city's code enforcement department was still working on issues at the property.
"We still have to determine whether or not the the animals can be adopted," he said. "The property owner can't keep that many cats in one place under city code."