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SPCA Rescues Nearly 100 Cats From SE Dallas House

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Oct 15, 2008 3:35 pm US/Central

SPCA Rescues Nearly 100 Cats From SE Dallas House

DALLAS (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ― About 100 cats were seized from a southeast Dallas home Wednesday. They were found living without proper food, water or care.

The Society For The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Dallas County Constable seized the animals from a house on the 10,000 block of Chacota Dr.

"The situation inside the house is bad," said Maura Davies, a spokesperson for the SPCA.

Cats of all breeds had been living in their own feces and urine inside closets and cages. The crates were stacked like Legos.

"The living conditions are atrocious," said Davies. "There's feces all over the floor. The carpet is so urine soaked that in some places it's discolored and even wet."

The cats were found consuming every corner, closet and available space inside the house.

"It's just cats, cats everywhere! I mean everywhere," said Margaret Seaton, a neighbor. "The windows are just covered."

"We tried to open one closet -- the owner told us there were several. But what ensued can only be described as tumultuous cats trying to escape the closet," she said.

Conditions were so deplorable the SPCA says the house posed a health hazard. Workers could only enter with face masks.

"The initial levels on the ammonia detector is about 17 - that's high," said Davies.

As the cats were cleared, neighbors watched the rescue in relief, knowing the cats had a chance to live better lives elsewhere.

"It's terrible having that many cats in the house living like that," said Seaton.

Officials say this could be a case of animal hoarding, which is symptomatic of a psychological condition.

The SPCA says it tried to rescue the cats before, but the owner wasn't cooperative. So the organization worked with the county to get a warrant.

The cats are now in the care of the McKinney SPCA. A custody hearing will determine if and when the animals will be put up for adoption.

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