A woman in Iowa has been arrested for leaving more than 20 cats and kittens in filthy conditions in an apartment in December last year, reports NBC affiliate WHO-13 News. Jennifer Thompson is currently facing two counts of animal neglect with serious injury or death, along with an additional count of animal neglect with injury. Ames Animal Shelter later went on to rescue the felines from the apartment.
The apartment housing the cats was covered with feces
According to the police, they received a tip from someone saying Thompson had abandoned the cats in horrible conditions in an apartment. As per court documents, the home was full of “excessive animal waste” and stank of “ammonia and feces.”
Authorities said when they arrived at the apartment, they could hear cats inside, but nobody opened the door. They later discovered the residence housed 27 cats and kittens, all of whom had just one litter box to share. In addition, there was garbage scattered across the home.
The felines were taken to a veterinarian, who found signs of respiratory illness in many of them. In particular, these signs include coughing, sneezing, and runny eyes. Moreover, one kitten had one of their eyes removed due to an infection resulting in a corneal ulcer.
Another cat, named Garrison, suffered from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a viral disease affecting a cat’s immune system and potentially leading to death. Resultantly, the feline ultimately had to be put down. Several other kittens also suffered from viral infections.
Thompson told officers she knew the animals were sick but couldn’t afford to take them to the vet. She then went on to give them expired antibiotics. Many of the surviving cats likely require surgeries, with some needing lifelong care due to their loss of eyesight.
As per a criminal complaint, Thompson has a previous history of surrendering sick felines to local animal rescues.
She’s due to appear in court on Feb. 9.
