PICS: 93 cats saved from life of squalor

The Bloemfontein SPCA has removed 93 cats from a house following complaints of the animals being kept in squalid conditions.

Bloemfontein – The Bloemfontein Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has removed 93 cats from a house in the city following complaints of cats being kept in squalid conditions, the organisation said on Sunday.

“While the property owners initially set out to ‘save’ cats’ lives, things began to fall apart, resulting in the situation getting out of control at the expense of the animals’ health and well-being,” SPCA senior inspector Reinet Meyer said.

“When we arrived at the house in Wilgehof, Bloemfontein, there were cats everywhere we stepped, and cat faeces throughout. The cats’ litter box was overflowing and consequently the cats were defecating all over the house. There were a lot of kittens in one room with excrement all over the carpets. The smell was unbearable,” she said.

“We had the cats examined and many had contracted a severe infectious disease. The sick cats had not been separated from the healthy ones, which was very irresponsible. We asked the owner of the house to show us the cats’ medical records but she was unable to produce these. We also asked if the cats had been vaccinated against rabies. The owner confirmed they had not. Again, this is incredibly irresponsible as rabies is fatal to both humans and animals.

“In another room, we found a dead kitten in among all the other cats. The owner was not even aware of the dead cat. Moreover, there were feral cats among the ‘tame’ ones. Some cats had clear compatibility problems and were kept in a cage outside the house. This cage was also full of faeces and the litter box had clearly not been cleaned out for a long time. The circumstances in which these animals were forced to live were unacceptable – dirty and unhygienic – and certainly not with the cats’ best interest at heart,” she said.

All 93 cats were removed and taken to the Bloemfontein SPCA. A charge of animal cruelty was to be laid against the owner.

“With this in mind, Bloemfontein SPCA would like to ask that no one let a situation get out of control at the expense of animals. We would like to ask members of the public to first do your homework on an animal organisation before supporting it or taking animals to it,” Meyer said.

African News Agency