Hoarding - 88 cats removed from apartment Fallbrook, CA (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 25, 2000 County: San Diego Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Louis M. Carey

Case ID: 9828 Classification: Hoarding, Neglect / Abandonment Animal: cat View more cases in CA (US) Login to Watch this Case

Louis Carey, 40, was arrested for allegedly obstructing animal control officers after he was cited with misdemeanor charges which alleged inhumane treatment and neglect of 88 cats seized from his one bedroom apartment.

Carey had his first cat walk through an open door in his home. The cat was hungry and Carey fed the animal, in a few days another cat appeared, the second cat brought another cat with him. This was the beginning of Carey's nine years feeding the strays that came to him. His family was back East and he had few friends so the cats became like family to him.

Carey said, "Every time I took in a pregnant cat, the intention was to give up the babies, but I was just fooling myself. You see them when their eyes are first open and realize this is a family. They've got personalities. You've watched them grow for four weeks. You've watched the interaction between mother and child."

"There was just no way I would do with them what we do to each other - just tear up families."

Everyone of Carey's cats had a name and were well cared for most of the time. Carey estimated he was spending about $70 a week on cat food and litter which was approximately 25% of his income.

Problems became apparent to Carey when he was trying to stop an eviction and he lost his job. In mid-December Carey ran out of money for cat litter. While he was awaiting his first paycheck from a job as a checker at a supermarket the conditions inside his home deteriorated.

Carey called several animal shelters tyring to get them to take some of his cats but wasn't able to find a shelters that were able to take any of his cats. When the animal control officers showed up at his apartment on Jan 25, sheriff's deputies said they found a dark and filthy apartment with cats under Carey's bed, behind the refrigerator, inside and outside cabinets. The urine soaked carpet and overflowing litter boxes made it necessary for authorities to wear military-style gas masks to help ventilate the apartment.

After the cats were checked it appeared most were in fairly good shape given the living conditions inside the apartment. Quite a few cats had ear mites, were filthy and some had respiratory problems.

The seized cats were taken to surrounding shelters. Most of the cats had to be euthanized, some were put up for adoption. Carey has filed court papers alleging his civil rights were violated. He is trying to get at least eight of his cats back.

Carey said, "God knows, I wish I could have all of them back." With tears in his eyes Carey said, "How can you look into the eye of an intelligent creature and destroy it? I want people to know there are loving cats out three who have been euthanized. I never had a cat die on me."

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References

San Diego Union-Tribune - Mar 11, 2000

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