Third-grade teacher Robin Ross returned to Fremont Elementary School to find the school's natural habitat infested with something foreign: cats.
More than two dozen felines roamed among the indigenous rocks and plants of the plot of land dedicated to Nevada's native species.
"We pulled up here and we kept seeing kitty cats come up to the fence," Ross explained.
The cats looked hungry, so she set out some food.
"We opened up the cat food and out came 12 cats just starving," she said. "We started looking and we just kept finding more cats."
She enlisted her family members, students and other teachers to help round up the cats before school starts there July 22.
They collected 20 cats then found a litter of six more newborn kittens.
The cats are all being housed between her two daughters, but they are looking to find permanent homes for the animals.
"They are lovely, sweet, affectionate cats," Ross said. "They appear to be healthy, just very hungry. It's our goal not to put them in the pound or have them euthanized."
She said the cats are well-mannered and were easily loaded into the carrying cages.
"They were obviously abandoned," she said. "I am just outraged that somebody would do that."
The only explanation for the mysterious appearance of the herd of cats comes from the school's special education teacher, who watered the plants over the summer.
He told her that he once saw a homeless family on the playground who said they'd lost a cat in the habitat.
Since then, more and more cats appeared.
"There may still be one or two out there," Ross said.
She is looking for anyone willing to adopt a cat or an agency that may be able to help place them.
YOU CAN HELP
If you are interested in adopting a cat or help save them, call Robin Ross at 220-0523 or Sara Carlson at 888-9130.
