Cats who survived Happy Cat Sanctuary fire being trapped, treated and evaluated by rescuers in Medford

Volunteers began trapping and treating some of the 200 cats Friday that survived a fire this week which destroyed the Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford and killed its founder.

The blaze Monday killed Christopher Arsenault, 65, who cared for about 300 cats in his Medford home, which was converted into a sanctuary on his half-acre property. The fire also killed more than 100 cats in his home while the remaining cats escaped.

The Brookhaven Town fire marshal  said the cause of the blaze was undetermined, but not suspicious. Investigators could not rule out propane heaters inside the home as contributing to the fire.

Volunteers with the Strong Island Animal Rescue and the Nesconset-based Paws of War were capturing cats Friday morning in traps or with nets so the cats can be examined for burns or respiratory issues, potentially caused by smoke inhalation.

"We're getting the trapping started, and it's pretty emotional," said Frankie Floridia, who founded Strong Island Animal Rescue. "It's just walking through there and knowing that this is going to be the day where we start taking them and getting them to where they need to go."

Rescuers hoped to move about 100 cats from the sanctuary Friday to be cataloged and moved to veterinarians or to a warehouse in Holbrook. Many of the cats were feral, mixed with some friendly domesticated cats. They will be sedated and examined by veterinarians over the weekend aboard the Suffolk SPCA’s mobile animal hospital. 

The warehouse has been outfitted with about 100 42-inch crates with food, water and litter to hold each cat. They will be kept there until they can be placed or deemed available for adoption, said Lisa Jaeger, a board member of the Happy Cat Sanctuary and director of Jaeger’s Run Animal Rescue.

Jaeger said about 50 of the friendlier cats may be put up for adoption in the coming weeks,  while the feral cats will need to be placed with rescue groups so they can live undisturbed and be cared for or rehabilitated to go to private homes. Ferals can sometimes be socialized to become friendly house cats, but it takes time and work to help them make the transition.

"They’re mostly scared. I worry about them the most because it’s hard to place them in a home," Jaeger said of the ferals. "A good amount of them just need love and affection. These were Chris’ babies and escaped during the fire. These were his children. This was his legacy. This is what he wants, and we want to make sure that every one of his children have a good home to go to."

While examined, the cats will be spayed or neutered, if needed, tested for disease, vaccinated and microchipped, Jaeger said. 

Some of the cats rescued have been found covered in soot with burned fur, paws and whiskers, volunteers said. Many of the other cats were healthy, Jaeger said.

The Happy Cat Sanctuary board is also managing an upstate sanctuary where Arsenault had purchased a 31-acre property in Montgomery County. Arsenault had already moved about 80 cats to the property and built a heated Amish barn, where they are being cared for, Jaeger said. He was planning to move the remaining cats this summer, but another barn needs to be built.

The cats rescued from the Medford sanctuary are expected to remain with Long Island rescues.

The sanctuary has received nearly $700,000 in online donations that Jaeger said will be used to care for the cats and continue Arsenault’s project. The organization does not need any additional supplies dropped off at the site and plans to donate remaining food and litter once the sanctuary cats are relocated.

"There are no words for what this community has done," Jaeger said.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.