Raising 159 cats and 7 dogs in the apartment

France: A couple in Nice were given a one-year suspended prison sentence and banned from owning animals permanently after being found to have kept 166 pets in their home.

The Nice city court's ruling on April 4th stated that the couple had committed the crime of "abandoning pets, leaving them in a very poor condition." They were also ordered to pay over 150,000 euros in compensation to animal protection associations.

"The 68-year-old wife and 52-year-old husband failed to properly care for their pets," the judge asserted.

This couple kept a total of 159 cats and 7 dogs in an 80-square-meter apartment in Nice for an extended period. In 2023, local police intervened in a dispute within the apartment and discovered a horrific scene. Dozens of pets, dehydrated, malnourished, covered in parasites and injuries, were being kept in various rooms.

In a bathroom, investigators found the bodies of at least two cats and two puppies.

166 cats and dogs, kept by a couple in Nice in their 80-square-meter apartment, were found in a state of emaciation. (Illustrative image: Shutterstock)

Prior to the judge's ruling, the 68-year-old woman said she would appeal.

"They (the pets) are the love of my life. That ruling is like a ban on women having more children," she said.

She also stated that the deterioration of the apartment and the harm suffered by her pets were only temporary. She herself is seeking solutions but is helpless because her cats are heavily infested with parasites. Furthermore, she and her husband are facing the possibility of eviction due to unpaid rent of 8,000 euros.

Psychologists have assessed that the owner of the pets is suffering from Noah Syndrome (animal hoarding). People with this syndrome are characterized by a desire to keep more and more pets but lack the ability to care for them.

Back in 2014, the couple was investigated for living with 13 cats and a dog in their 18-square-meter studio apartment. A few years later, she took in an additional 30 cats found in an abandoned building. These cats subsequently reproduced, bringing the current number to over 150.

Minh Phuong (According to Independent, BBC )

Source: https://vnexpress.net/nuoi-159-con-meo-va-7-con-cho-trong-can-ho-4731391.html