CAPE TOWN - The Bloemfontein SPCA has rescued 53 animals that have been living in dire circumstances, with one cat found dead among the others, the SPCA said.
Inspectors made a routine visit to a location in Bloemfontein that housed the animals in a small one-bedroomed house, where they discovered 50 cats, two dogs and one horse living in horrible conditions.
According to the inspectors, upon approaching the house they were overwhelmed by a stench, and as they entered the dwelling they found all the cat boxes filled with faeces.
The inspectors said as they walked through the house, they noticed a dead cat lying on a bed with other cats.
"It was shocking to see 50 cats living in such a small area. They had to see one of them die and still had to sleep next to his lifeless body," said inspector Duán Matthee of the Bloemfontein SPCA.
The SPCA said all the cats were examined.
“Cats are clean and proud animals that regularly groom themselves. Instead, these cats had faeces on them”, said Matthee.
“The dead cat shocked me the most, and to think that the owner didn't even know that there was a dead cat," added Matthee.
The inspectors said that upon further inspection of the house, they noticed that there was no water or ventilation for the cats.
“The cats could not move around freely and appeared to be trapped inside the small house,” said Matthee.
The inspectors also found dogs and a horse on the property that were in an equally bad state.
The SPCA obtained a court order to remove the animals and took them to a veterinarian.
"These cats suffered at the hands of the owners. There are no other words for it. And to think that these cats had severe transmittable diseases and that the owners said that it was nothing, is alarming," said Matthee.