91 dead cats found at woman’s home

A profound attachment to animals can drive some to acts of kindness that seem nuts to most – like the Arizona man who spent $100,000 of his own money feeding his town’s feral cats.

But far more concerning is when such an attachment becomes so overwhelming that it blinds individuals to the harm they might be inflicting upon the creatures in their care.

Certainly, no one can claim that an Idaho woman found to be sharing her home with over 150 cats – more than half of which were dead – did not want animals in her life.

Animal Control officers visited Jeanette R. Elliott’s residence in Nampa, 20 miles west of state capital Boise, on May 23, after receiving a complaint the day before about the welfare of her cats.

The shocking sight that greeted them at the 64-year-old’s home meant that action had to be taken immediately.

Officers discovered that Elliott was sharing her living space with a total of 156 cats, 91 of which were already dead, KIVI-TV reports.

Wearing personal protective equipment, and aided by staff from the West Valley Humane Society (WVHS), they managed to remove 65 cats which were still alive, as well as the dead animals.

“All cats were in various states of health and age and were seen by a veterinarian and initially treated as able,” Nampa Police said in a press release. “Unfortunately, due to the health of some of the cats, for humane reasons, approximately 30 were humanely put to sleep by a certified technician.”

With Elliott facing 30 counts of committing cruelty to animals, the rescued cats will remain in the care of WVHS pending further investigation.

 “At this point in time, West Valley Humane Society is acting as a safe shelter for these cats,” spokeswoman Kierra Larson told KBOI-TV. “We are accessing them daily, and taking appropriate measures to make sure they are receiving the best quality of life.”

The surviving cats are not yet up for adoption, but the animal shelter, based in nearby Caldwell, said it had other furry friends in need of a good home.