County Durham couple given animal ban after 43 cats were found living in squalor

A couple who kept 43 pedigree cats in appalling conditions at their home, in Chester-le-Street, have been banned from keeping animals for three years.

An RSPCA Inspector stated that the smell from outside the property was the worst she had ever experienced during her eight years working with the animal charity.

It was found that many of the Maine Coon and Ragdoll cats, several of whom were pregnant, had multiple health issues, and the majority of kittens that were born then died because they were so poorly.

At a hearing at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on June 11, Ernest Frost, 71, and Jean Frost, 68, received the animal ban after pleading guilty to one Animal Welfare Act offence following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.

The court heard that RSPCA Inspector Rowena Proctor went to the couple’s house on February 21 following welfare concerns for 10 cats who were thought to be living there.

Rowena immediately called the police to gain access to the home due to the awful smell coming from the property and the large amount of faeces that could be seen through the patio doors.

In her written evidence to the court, the Inspector said: “A female who I now know to be Jean Frost went to the rear patio doors and allowed us access.

“The smell inside was worse than the smell of any property I have ever been into. The conditions were appalling with faeces covering the majority of the floors, window sills and up the walls.

“There was no visibly clean area anywhere aside from blankets on the sofa and some clean dishes on the side in the kitchen.

“I was immediately concerned for some kittens on the sofa who were in really poor condition. Several had their eyes sealed shut with discharge.

“One grey kitten in particular looked close to death, with its head back and open mouth breathing.

“The property had three floors but the landing area between the middle and top floor was so littered in rubbish and faeces that it was impossible to walk over without feeling like the floor would cave through, presumably due to ammonia damage, so I did not manage to access the top floor at all.

“My throat burned and my eyes watered due to the huge amount of ammonia in the air.”

Magistrates were told that 35 male and female cats, ranging in age from three weeks to six years, were removed from the home due to welfare concerns and were immediately taken for veterinary treatment.

A further cat was caught when the Inspector returned to the house the following day, with Frost handing over an additional seven at later dates.

Many of the younger cats were showing symptoms of conjunctivitis, which is often caused by calicivirus, and is a component of the highly infectious cat flu.

The kitten that the RSPCA saw at the house with breathing difficulties was so poorly that he was put to sleep immediately to prevent further suffering - with two others passing away after being hospitalised.

Several adult cats had severe dental disease and decaying teeth, which needed removing.

Others had fur matted with faeces and urine scalding on their paws and legs, as well as a large number having reddened and inflamed guns and flea allergies.

In the vet’s evidence to the court, the hearing heard: “Many of these cats were in poor body condition and were underweight. This is likely contributed to by underlying infectious disease and parasites, and competition for food from other cats.

“This is an excessive number of cats to keep in one household and will have caused direct psychological suffering to all them. Cats do not enjoy living in large groups and find being forced to do so very stressful.

“Several of them passed diarrhoea during the examinations. As live worms were also present, it is likely this was a contributing factor. Live fleas and flea dirt were found on the coat of many of these cats.

“Fleas cause suffering through intense itchiness, physical damage to the skin and hair loss caused by scratching.

“This is easily preventable through the routine use of anti-parasiticides and the spread of parasites such as fleas is worsened by keeping animals in overcrowded conditions.

“It is likely that these animals suffered in these conditions for months but possibly years.”

Jean Frost had told RSPCA Inspectors that she wasn’t a cat breeder and that all of the litters were unintentional, stating that only two of the felines were neutered and she had “possibly lost track” of how many she had.

She claimed that she didn’t believe nay of the kittens should have seen a sooner, by instead stated she was going to take them “as soon as possible”.

Ernest Frost stated that he thought the kittens looked “alright” and that the cats were “definitely not suffering”, with the couple also “managing” with the number of cats they had.

He told the RSCPA the conditions had deteriorated because they were both unwell.

All of the surviving cats were looked after at RSPCA animal centres and private boarding establishments up and down the country - with the majority having already been adopted.

Ten cats, which Jean Frost refused to sign over, can now legally be rehomed by the charity following the animal ban.

As well as the ban on owning animals, the couple was ordered to pay £150 in costs.

Speaking after the court hearing, Inspector Proctor commented: “Over the years I have been to countless properties where conditions have been very bad, but this was by far the worst smell I have encountered in eight years as an RSPCA Inspector.

“The cats were living in wholly unacceptable conditions and there were clearly far too many for the defendants to be able to manage and care for properly.

“Breeding had spiralled out of control, infection and disease were rife, and many of the kittens born into this environment were very poorly as a result.

“Even though they couldn’t all be saved, the vast majority made a good recovery and I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the private boarding establishments and RSPCA centres who cared for the cats in this case, and to the many adopters who have welcomed them into their lives.”

You can keep up to date with the RSPCA by visiting: https://www.rspca.org.uk/.

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