True Rescue pulls six cats from abandoned Macon County home

True Rescue, a Mt. Juliet nonprofit, pulled six cats and kittens from an abandoned Macon County home filled with floor-to-ceiling trash and grime-coated walls.

The rescue was first reported by the Lebanon Democrat on Sept. 25. True Rescue, an animal shelter at 12110 Lebanon Road, said Macon County Animal Control contacted the organization after a new property owner discovered the animals and the conditions inside. The previous owner had been foreclosed upon and left the home, along with the cats, more than a year earlier.

The residence fell outside Animal Control's jurisdiction, so the agency asked True Rescue for help safely removing the cats.

"This is probably one of the worst houses we've been in," Executive Director Amy Simcik told WSMV. "We've been in some pretty bad ones, but this one's really, really awful."

Simcik shared a video walkthrough of the property on social media Sept. 25. During the recording, she discovered a cat hiding in the basement.

First case of chewing lice

True Rescue said the case marked its first encounter with chewing lice, which had infested the cats found inside. All six are quarantined and receiving treatment.

The organization said it believes at least a dozen more cats remain on the property. Volunteers were returning daily to trap them as of late September.

Despite the conditions, Simcik said the cats and kittens are "very sweet" and do not act hostile toward people. She described the situation as a likely hoarding case and called hoarding a mental health condition.

How to help

True Rescue receives no tax dollars from the city or county, according to a NewsChannel 5 report from October 2025. The shelter relies on donations, fosters and volunteers.

Residents who want to help can donate through the True Rescue website. The shelter is open seven days a week for adoptions and tours. Adoption applications for cats and kittens are available at truerescue.org/adoptable-pets.

True Rescue said as of Sept. 25 it was still trapping cats at the Macon County property daily.