NEWBURY — A High Road woman got quite the surprise when she looked out her window to find nearly 25 cats on her back porch.

At the urging of her veterinarian, who came to her High Road home to check on her horse, she called Merrimack River Feline Rescue Society in Salisbury.

"We got a call from a woman who said her neighbor had torn down a barn on their property (before they moved away)," Liz Pease of MRFRS said. "Since then, cats started appearing on her property. When we went over, we saw them all on her porch where she was feeding them."

Many times, the MRFRS receives calls from people saying they have "20 cats," and usually, it turns out to be five or six, Pease said. This time, they got what they bargained for.

"They are in decent shape, a little thin, but that's to be expected when you have that many cats competing for food," Pease said. "All are semi-social."

Named after chain restaurants such as UNO, Mortons and Lonestar, all the cats and kittens are gray and white. The High Road homeowner declined to be interviewed or identified.

"We have taken 17 so far and will be going back for more," Pease said. "We have some as young as 12 weeks, three months and six months."

While some are wild and will need to be kept as barn cats, the younger ones will be able to be domesticated, Pease said.

Feral and semi-feral barn cats are excellent for keeping rodent populations down in barns, according to MRFRS.

"We will be doing a big spay and neuter in the next few days; some will go back to (High Road)," Pease said. "All are in good shape and are adorable cats."

Now over capacity, the MRFRS is in dire need of canned cat food to feed the new additions to the shelter. They are also in need of cleaning supplies, such as paper towels, as well as people who are looking to adopt cats.

"Food is a big expense," Pease said. "We also want to help the woman who called so she can feed the cats we send back. Food is a big expense."

The MRFRS also has opportunities for those who want to help out by sponsoring a cat during spay and neutering, which will lessen the cost burden for MRFRS.

"Also if someone has a barn and wants a barn cat, it would be nice to thin down the population for this woman," Pease said. "We are also pushing to find homes for the kittens and some of the older ones."

For more information about the cats or to adopt, visit MRFRS at 63 Elm St., Salisbury, call 978-462-0760 or e-mail info@mrfrs.org.

MRFRS is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2 to 6 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays 2 to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday hours are by appointment.