Inspectors from the Roodepoort/ Krugersdorp SPCA descended on a house in Georginia on August 7 after receiving a complaint of cat hoarding.
According to SPCA manager Mandy Cattanach, the complaint was filed by a concerned family member, who requested the SPCA to inspect the property.
“We followed due procedure and obtained an order that allowed us to search the premises,” says Cattanach, adding that the operation was conducted with support from Roodepoort police, who were on the scene during the inspection.
“We also called in the help of a private veterinarian to carry out an initial inspection of the cats at the scene, to ascertain whether any of the cats had life-threatening illnesses or injuries.”
Cattanach says that neither the SPCA inspectors, the police officers, or the veterinarian were prepared for the horrors they would come across during the inspection.
“The smell was indescribable,” she says. It was eye-watering. There were cats everywhere. Many of them with obvious problems like eye infections.
“As we started to go through the different rooms of the house the extent of the problem became clear. We just hoped that we had brought enough animal carriers to safely transport all the cats.”
Cattanach says that cats were kept in different rooms of the house with the doors closed.
“There were scratch marks on all the doors from cats desperately trying to escape. Even the beds were soaked with cat urine. Our inspectors wore masks, but nothing could dull the distinctive stench.”
At the end of the day, SPCA inspectors under the watchful eye of police officers removed 38 cats from the house. Inspectors emerged a bit worse for wear, covered in scratches and with eyes watering from the stench.
“Inspectors spent the rest of the afternoon readying safe holding cages for the cats and painstakingly documenting each one.
“Once the cats were settled and calm, a veterinarian carefully inspected each cat and was shocked at the condition of some of them. The veterinarian found severe gingivitis and mouth ulcers. Many of the cats have missing teeth are struggling to feed and are therefore severely underweight.”
