Hirwaun: Eight abandoned cats found in filthy conditions

A number of the cats, including a tabby long hair Maine Coon, had heavily matted fur and had coats soaked in urine.

Jolene Collette Harris of Station Road, Cefn Coed, Merthyr Tydfil, was sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 8 May.

This followed a previous hearing in April when she pleaded guilty to four offences under the Animal Welfare Act, including that she failed to ensure the needs of eight cats were met in terms of a suitable environment and did not provide adequate or reasonable daily care and supervision to protect them from harm.

She also failed to check for signs of ill health leading to untreated ear and dental disease in respect to one cat and also failed to ensure two other cat’s coats were maintained in an appropriate condition.

She was sentenced to five-year disqualification ban on all animals and ordered to pay a total of £680.

An order was also made for three cats to be signed over to the RSPCA, and there was also an order relinquishing her ownership of one elderly female cat that had remained in her care.

In mitigation it was heard that she had no previous convictions, had personal difficulties and had genuine remorse.

RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector Emma Smith provided a witness statement about the incident on August 7 when she attended the property with police.

The court heard from a witness statement provided by RSPCA Deputy Chief Inspector (DCI) Emma Smith. 

She said: “The smell inside the bungalow was incredibly pungent from the minute you walked in. It was extremely unkempt inside the location with household items strewn everywhere, bags of rubbish piled up and grime and mess on the floors.”

The cats were found in rooms with lumps of faeces in the trays and on the floor (Image: RSPCA Cymru)According to DCI Smith, a litter tray with lumps of faeces and diarrhoea on the floor were found in the living room, alongside an empty food bowl where two cats were seen.

She added that the smell of urine and ammonia mixed with grime and rubbish throughout were “overwhelming”.

She found a third cat in the bedroom which “appeared nervous” and ran off. This cat had access to a bathroom which contained a bowl of water and bowl with some dry cat food, but again the litter trays contained multiple signs of faeces.  

A third room had its door blocked by “piles of mouldy faeces” which DCI Smith described as the worst she had “seen in 14 years of being an RSPCA Inspector”.

She added: “The room was caked in old and new faeces throughout. Urine stains were all over the floor along with rubbish and ground in old and stale food. There were piles of cat fur which were caked in faeces and knotted up and there was no clear part of the floor that was not smeared or caked in faeces.”

Water bowls were found, but with signs of the cats having urinated inside, and all the cat carriers in the room were caked inside with faeces, with no sign of any suitable bedding or clean space.

The cats were found with matted fur and covered in urine (Image: RSPCA Cymru)DCI Smith was informed that a small water bowl had been put in by a neighbour two days previously after discovering the cats in these conditions.

She described the five cats found in this room as “subdued”, adding that their “coats were stained and smelly” and were “heavily matted”.

It was noted that there was no ventilation or way of escape.

The cats were described as subdued when they were found in the property, but are now set to be rehomed soon (Image: RSPCA Cymru)All eight were seized by police and taken to the RSCPA Merthyr Tydfil Veterinary Clinic.

Five of the cats were signed over by the owner, with four having been rehomed.

Following the conclusion of the court case, the others are set to be made available for rehoming.

Five of the cats were signed over by the owner - four of which have been rehomed. Now following the court case - the others will be made available for rehoming.