63 cats taken from Marion County home

63 cats taken from Marion County home
Last Updated: Thursday, September 02, 2010 3:36 PM

http://s52.radikal.ru/i137/1009/a1/d693fc202430.jpg

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MARION COUNTY -- Sixty-three cats and other animals have been removed from a Marion County home.

Marion County Animal Services say they removed the cats, along with an Amazon bird and a Golden Retriever dog that were living in poor conditions from a home on Thoroughbred Acres, Thursday.

The owner, 54-year-old Merry Wichman, bred and sold cats on the website, Angel Babies Maine Coon Cat.

Animal services say many of the animals were housed in 5-by-4 foot chain link cages with nine to 17 cats inside each one.

Marion County Fire Rescue’s HazMat team tested the air quality inside the home and determined it unsafe to enter without a respirator. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office removed Wichman from her property via the Baker Act and into protective custody for a mental evaluation.

According to Dr. David Jebens, DVM, Animal Services’ staff veterinarian, the cats’ conditions range from emaciated to fair/good. Many of the cats have respiratory issues, most likely from living in filthy conditions with poor air quality. Some of the cats are extremely thin and most have matted fur, flea infestation, skin problems and extremely foul odor due to living in their own waste.

The animals are now housed at the Marion County Animal Center, where staff is providing medical and nutritional care. Animal Services staff plans to file a petition for custody within 10 days as well as seek cruelty charges against the animal owner through the State Attorney’s Office.

cfnews13.com

This is apparently in central Florida. (I know a number of states have a Marion county.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FORT KNOX

63 cats taken from Marion County home
Last Updated: Thursday, September 02, 2010 3:36 PM

http://s52.radikal.ru/i137/1009/a1/d693fc202430.jpg

http://s42.radikal.ru/i096/1009/aa/995596b740c5.jpg

MARION COUNTY -- Sixty-three cats and other animals have been removed from a Marion County home.

Marion County Animal Services say they removed the cats, along with an Amazon bird and a Golden Retriever dog that were living in poor conditions from a home on Thoroughbred Acres, Thursday.

The owner, 54-year-old Merry Wichman, bred and sold cats on the website, Angel Babies Maine Coon Cat.

Animal services say many of the animals were housed in 5-by-4 foot chain link cages with nine to 17 cats inside each one.

Marion County Fire Rescue’s HazMat team tested the air quality inside the home and determined it unsafe to enter without a respirator. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office removed Wichman from her property via the Baker Act and into protective custody for a mental evaluation.

According to Dr. David Jebens, DVM, Animal Services’ staff veterinarian, the cats’ conditions range from emaciated to fair/good. Many of the cats have respiratory issues, most likely from living in filthy conditions with poor air quality. Some of the cats are extremely thin and most have matted fur, flea infestation, skin problems and extremely foul odor due to living in their own waste.

The animals are now housed at the Marion County Animal Center, where staff is providing medical and nutritional care. Animal Services staff plans to file a petition for custody within 10 days as well as seek cruelty charges against the animal owner through the State Attorney’s Office.

cfnews13.com

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Them poor, poor babies, I have just now taken a look also at the website it just shows you how... websites can deceive you....


Mind if you look closely on the kitten page... you can see the filth in the photos... At least now they will have quality of life... out of that disgusting place.

OMG Poor poor babys :sad1:

This brought the tears to my eyes... so horrible!
:nauseated:

I agree,makes you want to weep,I do hope they all get the good homes they deserve....

Thats horrible, poor cats, its amazing the girls managed to keep their kitties alive in those conditions. I've only got seven cats (and five kittens) and it takes me an hour every day to 'muck out' with follow on scoopings and play times of course, so how anyone could contemplate keeping that huge amount of cats is beyond me.

I had forwarded this to our breeder who is now VP of MCBFA. She reports that the story was posted on a maillist that she gets, and that she believes that Maine Coon Rescue will get involved: Maine Coon Rescue

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Originally Posted by NCarver

I had forwarded this to our breeder who is now VP of MCBFA. She reports that the story was posted on a maillist that she gets, and that she believes that Maine Coon Rescue will get involved: Maine Coon Rescue

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I hope so & they all get wonderful homes :nod: we are on the mailing list here & had quite a few emails of MC's needing homes :sad1: but so far they have all been for homes without dogs :shy: but Im sure there will be a homeless MC who whould like to come & live with us, Louie, the fussy pensioners & the spots :smile:

Looking at these pictures really breaks my heart...:sad2: I hope that those poor cats will find a new home where they will be loved and treasured, cause they really deserve it!!

Animal Hoarding 26 Maine Coon Katzen in sehr schlechtem Zustand :numb:

Oh my word thats horrific,pleased I can't understand the write up on it the pictures are enough,poor,poor babes....x

I'm with Jackie - Dave and I think those pictures are awful...poor kitties :( I don't understand why people do things like that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FORT KNOX

Animal Hoarding 26 Maine Coon Katzen in sehr schlechtem Zustand :numb:

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Rough translations

Found in an apartment the neighbours alerted by the stench

Apparently the Mainecoon breeder had moved all over Germany after many complaints and evictions from many Landlords.


The cats Had!!

Painful dental disease, chronic cat flu, bleeding mucosal inflammation, extreme diarrhea, they had been consumed over a long time and and and ... Some could not really breath any more they Just groaned.. They where matted up so bad they could not move and very painfully thin

For two of them we are too late. We were able to help them only with a long sleep over on the other side of Rainbow Bridge.

And then there are the kittens in the same state, from emaciated mothers who come with out being purposely bred because the animals where not neutered.

They will have a difficult start in life, but the whole team will fight for it!

I had a horrible feeling just looking at the pictures that perhaps the outcome for some may have not been good bless them,how could someone have been able to get away with it for so long, if they had already been evicted only the once because of the stench problem you would have thought someone would have been onto it straight away,fingers crossed & strong healing vibes to the rest bless them,hope the post can be updated further down the line on the outcome....

This just breaks my heart :(

It's Kitten farmers like this that give genuine Maine Coon loving breeders a bad name. This is why I insist on showing potential owners all of my cats and where they live (wether they ask to see or not )

Unfortunately I have had the misfortune of knowing someone similar to this in the UK, and another forum member (who is a much respected, genuine cat lover with impecable facilities) has spent the last few years and a lot of money fighting to get this particularly nasty excuse for a human shut down, but all she does is change names and carry on...that can't be right can it??

I really wish there were stricter guidelines for Breeders and heavier punishment for people like this. I think licensing really is the way to go. I would be more than happy to pay for a license and have an annual/ 6 monthly inspection of my cattery, so, i imagine, would any decent breeder.

Sorry for the rant but seeing upsetting images of distressed cats really sets me off! oOh how i would love to be left alone in a room for 5 minutes with someone who could do this to such loving and trusting cats.

Going outside for a smoke!!!!!!!

This is appalling and has really upset me. Off for a cuddle with my boys.