TACOMA, Wash. — More than 50 cats have been rescued from a sailboat in Puget Sound in northwest Washington state after animal control officers discovered dozens of the animals aboard the apparently abandoned boat.

Tacoma police said the rescue began during a welfare check Thursday.

They said officers removed about 30 cats from the boat but continued to hear animals moving behind panels and furniture that could not be easily removed.

Animal control officers returned Monday to search below deck for additional cats. By noon, 21 more had been found.

The unusual rescue also drew help from two local joggers who spotted a cat in the water Sunday morning.

Ashton Efforts and his friend Jesse McConaugher were out for their weekly Sunday morning run when they saw the animal struggling in the water.

“All I said was, ‘Are we going to do something about it?’ And I started stripping and jumped down,” Efforts said.

The water was cold, and the cat scratched Efforts during the rescue. He said the scratches were difficult to feel because of the cold water.

“It looks worse than what it is, but the water was so cold you couldn’t feel the scratches,” he said. “And this will heal up. The cat will be alive.”

The cat was taken to an animal hospital after reaching shore.

Tacoma police said they do not recall responding to a similar call involving so many animals on a boat.

“No, 30, 40 cats on a boat — that’s pretty unheard of,” one officer said.

A local humane society will determine when, or whether, the rescued cats can be made available for adoption.

Police said they know who owns the sailboat and plan to begin a criminal investigation once the rescue operation is complete.

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