Fairfax County cat rescuers suffer devastating loss in fire

Two cat lovers who opened their Fairfax County home to dozens of felines in need of foster care returned from vacation this weekend to a scene of devastation. A fire in the house had claimed the lives of most of the 64 cats inside. Some of the cats were the home owners’ pets, and many others were fosters. Several pet birds also died in the fire. Initially, eight cats were reportedly rescued and others had been seen wandering near the home. Fancy Cats Rescue Team, the rescue organization the home owners work with, reported that an additional five cats were found alive on Sunday. The cats were taken to a local animal shelter for evaluation, and Fancy Cats expected to pick them up on Monday.

Mark Emlet and Kristen Tunstall had left to go on vacation and had arranged for a pet-sitter to check on their animals. The sitter immediately called 911 after coming to the house and discovering the fire about 3:00 p.m. Saturday. When the fire department arrived, they found that the fire had extinguished itself, the Washington Post reports. The cause of the fire has not been determined. It did an estimated $75,000 in damage to the house.

Fancy Cats Rescue Team is accepting donations to help care for the rescued cats. Fancy Cats is a non-profit organization that seeks to end needless euthanasia of cats in Washington-area shelters.