When it comes to crazy cat ladies, 68-year-old Lynea Lattanzio of Parlier, California, may just take the cake.
Lattanzio currently lives with 1100 cats— all of whom are either feral or were abandoned. Back in 1992, her Lattanzio’s father asked her for help finding a cat, and she came back with 15 kittens. Ever since then, she has been surrounded by her feline friends.
She tells Daily Mail UK, “I love cats because they’re independent; they’re beautiful and graceful.”
“I’m going to say that I’m at the top of the list of the eccentric, crazy cat ladies,” Lattanzio tells Barcroft TV. “I’ve taken in and lived with 28,000 cats. That’s probably a record.”
Lattanzio created her very own cat sanctuary, called The Cat House on the Kings, using her very own funds. She even sold her car and wedding ring to be able to cover the costs. The sanctuary is currently home to 800 adult cats and 300 kittens, all of whom have the freedom to run around and explore the grounds.
“I started taking in cats, but it wasn’t my intention to have 1,000 plus cats. But it’s what happened one step at a time,” she tells Daily Mail UK.
At one point, Lattanzia lived in a 5-bedroom house; however, she sold it when it became too crowded with her rescues.
“There wasn’t room for me anymore,” she explained. “I ended up with 60 some cats in my bedroom with dogs, and I just said that’s it and I moved out.”
“I went from a 5-bedroom home with a swimming pool, bar and a view of the river to a 1,600-square-foot mobile home with rusty metal,” she told Daily Mail UK.
“When I moved to the trailer I swore it would be a cat free zone, but I currently have 20 kittens and four puppies in there. You can take the woman out of the shelter but you can’t take the shelter out of the woman.”
It is expensive for Lattanzio to run the sanctuary. Between staff, food, litter, maintenance, and fees— costs equal roughly $1.6 MILLION per year. To help cut down on expenses, Lattanzio trained as a vet, equipping the sanctuary with its very own hospital, intensive care unit, and quarantine areas for both senior cats and kittens.
Although Lattanzio adores spending time with her beloved rescues, she ultimately hopes to find them all loving, furever homes.
“If you’re interested in adopted, go to our website and fill out the adoption form,” she says. “There are 500 for adoption that are friendly and ready to go.”
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