60 cats removed from Port Charlotte home

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla.- Sixty malnourished and flea ridden cats had to be removed from a Port Charlotte home.

Animal Control officers took the cats out of the house located on Kerrivlle Circle. The animals were taken to a Charlotte County shelter and then many of the cats were transported in Cat Depot in Sarasota.

“The home was almost unbearable for the officer to smell but what was most interesting was fact that once you got in, between 10 to 15 feet of the front door you were automatically overcome by the odor,” sait Lt. Brian Jones, Charlotte County Animal Control.

Many of the cats had to be euthanized because they were in such bad condition. The cats that survived were sent to a rescue in Sarasota. The rescue tells WINK News they may have to put more of the cats down.

A spokesperson for Cat Depot in Sarasota says many of the animals have severe eye infections from being in such close quarters.

This isn’t the first time cats have been taken out of the home. Animal Control says they’ve been to the home twice in the past few years.

“It makes you wonder about why people would allow this to go on, or why it’s okay to put 60 cats inside of a relatively small home. It’s almost impossible not to have problems under that scenario,” said Jones.

WINK News spoke to one of the owners of the cats and he says his pets never left the home and weren’t a problem to anyone. He says he’s furious about the situation and says his neighbors just want him to leave the neighborhood.

Animal Control says it’s still investigating and is considering charging people in the house with animal neglect or cruelty.