Raising 159 cats and 7 dogs in the apartment

France A couple in the city of Nice were sentenced to a year in prison, suspended, and banned from keeping animals for life after being found to have 166 pets in their home.

The Nice court ruled on April 4 that the couple had committed “abandoning their pets, leaving them in a very bad condition.” They were also ordered to pay more than 150,000 euros in compensation to animal protection associations.

"The 68-year-old wife and 52-year-old husband failed to provide proper care for the animals," the judge said.

The couple had kept a total of 159 cats and seven dogs in an 80-square-meter apartment in Nice for a long time. In 2023, local police intervened in a dispute in the apartment and discovered a horrifying scene. Dozens of pets were dehydrated, malnourished, covered in parasites and injured, kept in 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 city in an 80 square meter apartment were discovered in a state of exhaustion. Illustration: Shutterstock — 166 cats and dogs kept by a couple in Nice city in an 80 square meter apartment were discovered in a state of exhaustion. Illustration: *Shutterstock*

Before the judge's verdict, the 68-year-old woman said she would appeal.

"They (pets) are the love of my life. That ruling is like a ban on women not being able to have more children," she said.

She also said that the deterioration of the apartment and the damage to the pets were only temporary. She herself was looking for a solution but was helpless because the cats were heavily infested with parasites. In addition, she and her husband were facing the possibility of being evicted due to unpaid rent of up to 8,000 euros.

Psychologists have determined that the pet owner has Noah syndrome (animal hoarding). People with this syndrome are characterized by the desire to keep more and more pets around but are unable to care for them.

In 2014, the couple was investigated for living with 13 cats and a dog in a 18-square-meter studio apartment. A few years later, she continued to raise 30 cats found in an abandoned building. These cats then reproduced and increased the current number to more than 150 individuals.

Minh Phuong (According to Independent, BBC )

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