Lowestoft couple banned from keeping animals after cats abandoned in filthy flat
All four cats have now been rehomed
A man and a woman from Lowestoft have been banned from keeping animals for five years, after leaving four cats abandoned in a filthy flat.
22 year old Michael Ian Mark Driver, of Raglan Street, admitted to two animal welfare offences after being taken to court by the RSCPA.
Bethany Alice Wildman, 26, of High Street, also admitted to two offeced after failing to meet the needs of her pets.
Both were sentenced at Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court, where they were also ordered to pay fines and costs.
The cats were discovered trapped inside a flat in High Street, Lowestoft, last year.
RSPCA officers attempted to engage with the owners and made 15 visits to the propertly. The animals were repeatedly left unattended for periods of 24 to 48 hours.
Officers fed the cats through the letterbox as they were worried they would starve. One several occasions the animals were so hungry they snatched food sachets out of the hands of RSPCA staff.
The court heard the flat was filthy and cold, with soiled and dirty litter trays.
The cats were later removed from the property and moved to different locations, but still weren't being cared for properly.
The animals were seized by police and placed into the custody of the RSCPA.
Sparkle, Marble, HJ and Shadow have all now been rehomed.
RSPCA Inspector Amy Pellegrini, who led the investigation, said: “I believed the cats were starving due to the scratches at the door and the loud noises they were making.
"It was claimed the flat was being visited everyday but we were able to prove that this simply was not true.
"No-one was attending consistently each day and the behaviour of the cats was worrying. Each time the cats were fed through the letterbox they tried to take the pouches of cat food due to their desperation.”