Rescuers in tears after finding 15 cats in ‘horrific prison’ covered in faeces and urine

A rescue centre has launched a desperate appeal after 15 cats were found cowering in a ‘horrific prison’ covered in urine and faeces.

Feral Rescue Gainsborough said they were called to the property after hearing that the animals’ elderly owner had gone into hospital and would not be returning.

They described what they found in the house as a ‘living nightmare’ with all the cats squashed into a pen that was ‘too small for four, let alone 15’.

Posting on a crowdfunding page now set up for the cats, they wrote that the cats had been left without their owner for ‘about a month’.

The site reads: ‘The walls and floor were thick with grime, full of cat faeces and urine that obviously had not been cleaned out for years.

‘We couldn’t determine whether the tears falling were because of what we were seeing or because the stench of urine was that strong, it was intolerable.

‘There were cats cowered in corners, sinking into inches of faeces just left to contaminate the ground. Others were scaling the wire mesh, calling to us to help them.

‘There were no water bowls, just a few empty food bowls scattered around. We learnt the cats had been left without their owner for around a month.’

The rescue centre stated that they didn’t have the space to take on all the cats, but having seen the ‘horrific prison they were forced to live in’ they could not walk away.

They then set about removing all the cats from the house, discovering that ‘most were underweight and malnourished’, while others had cat flu.

Some of the animals also had urine burns on their back legs, while one ginger and white cat’s ear had partially rotted away.

Workers at the rescue centre later discovered the owner had previously been prosecuted and banned from keeping animals in the past.

The rescue centre set up their crowdfunding page to help them cover the cost of their vet bills for the cats, as well other items, such as litter and food, needed for their care.

They are also urgently seeking foster owners who will be able to take the animals home.

At the moment, four of the cats are living in a caravan, while 11 others are in a bedroom at the centre’s headquarters.

To donate towards the cats click here, and for more information about fostering click here.