Two cats were found dead in a squalor house so full of rubbish and poo, the RSPCA inspector sent to investigate, was bitten 185 TIMES by fleas.
Mandy Swash’s moggies, Ernie and Mags were found inside, one in the living room and one in the bedroom.
In the bathroom, the toilet was full of brown murky grime and toilet paper.
There was rubbish, including a bucket and water bottles, in the bathtub and the floor was not even visible
One of the other beds had no sheets on it with more cat poo on the exposed mattress and a door was off its hinges.
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In the kitchen, even more poo was on the windowsill and there were dirty bowls piled up in the sink.
Boxes and rubbish bags were strewn over the lounge floor too.
RSPCA inspector, Louise Showering went into the house in Barmouth Way, Liverpool, where Swash was living at the time.
She was overcome by the smell and fleas.
Of her 185 bites she said: “To date, this is the worst case of flea bites I have suffered in my whole 13-year career.
“These caused me significant discomfort and an inability to sleep for a number of days due to the severity of the itching.”
Swash, 53, now of Rosedale Avenue, Liverpool, was sentenced at Liverpool magistrates’ court on 4 January, following a previous hearing in September where she was proven guilty in her absence for offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The RSPCA investigated in September 2022 following reports that there were dead and live animals living in poor conditions inside the house.
Insp. Showering said in a witness statement: “Inside there were boxes and bags piled high making it difficult to see the floor.
“I had to stand on rubbish and cat litter in order to go up the stairs.
“The bathroom was in a filthy state with items covering the floor and inside the bath. The door of the back bedroom was off the hinges and resting against bags and the bed behind it.
“The window was partially obscured by piles of bags and there were many flies and fleas in the room.
“The landing was blocked by more items so I had to climb over these to reach the other two bedrooms.
“Inside the front larger bedroom, the bed was heavily soiled by faeces. I had to stand on rubbish just to get into the room.
“Inside the kitchen, I was again, unable to see the floor due to the amount of rubbish. There were faeces and empty food packets, plastic and empty soiled bowls and litter trays. The kitchen itself was also filthy, with piles of faeces stacked up next to the sink and on the work surfaces”
She added: “In the lounge area, I saw a black bin bag over the top of one of the boxes.
“The letting agent informed me that he had spoken with Swash who told him that one of the dead cats was in a box in the lounge so I removed the box outside and found the body of a black domestic shorthaired cat inside.
“The cat appeared to have had a head injury and trauma to the eye area.
“In the rear bedroom, I saw a large number of fleas jumping on a blanket to the left of the door. I removed the blanket and discovered the body of a black domestic short-haired cat which appeared underweight and also had a flea infestation.”
Mags had been injured in a road accident and Ernie was underweight.
Insp. Showering added: “This was an incredibly sad case which resulted in the neglect and suffering of multiple cats.
“These cats were not provided with a suitable environment in which to live due to the heavily soiled litter trays, a heavy build-up of cat faeces on work surfaces, floors, beds and soft furnishings and unsafe living conditions due to the hoarding of items such as plastic bags, and stacked items, causing potential trapping or injury hazards.
“There were no safe, comfortable, clean places in which the cats could rest.
“The environment was such that it would be more difficult to spot an injured cat easily. They were heavily infested with fleas and there was a build-up of faeces and detritus which would create a breeding ground for disease.”
Swash was given a 12-month community order which includes 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and was placed under a curfew between 7pm and 7am to last eight weeks.
She was given 12 sessions of mental health treatment and ordered to pay £114 victim surcharge.
She was also ordered to pay a further £1,250 in costs.
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