Police pull 23 cats from abandoned Tacoma boat in one day -- more still inside

Police rescued 23 cats from an abandoned boat near Owen Beach in Tacoma in a single day, bringing the total to about 53 since authorities first became aware of the vessel on Aug. 6. Tacoma Police Department crews went out at 9:40 a.m. Tuesday to retrieve two or so more cats that had avoided capture during earlier searches. A spokesperson said some animals remained inside areas officers couldn’t reach because they were too scared to come out. The department expected 10 to 15 cats, but ended up rescuing 23. The cats are being taken to The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County, and there have been no arrests or updates in the criminal investigation.