200 cat carcasses

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050521/ap_on_fe_st/dead_cats

Fri May 20,10:07 PM ET

EAST ORANGE, N.J. - An East Orange woman was charged with numerous health code and animal welfare violations after hundreds of dead cats were discovered rotting in garbage bags in the back yard of her home.

Marlene Kess, who has built a reputation in Manhattan as a caretaker of homeless and dying cats, had 48 cats inside her house, including 38 in one room, authorities said Thursday.

Out back, there were 200 vermin-infested cat carcasses stuffed into garbage bags and apparently were going to be buried in a large hole that recently had been dug, said Sgt. Joseph Bierman of the state's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The cats were discovered after neighbors complained about the stench.

"Oh my God, it was awful," said Michael Fowler, of the Associated Humane Societies. "The smell was horrible."

Kess, 56, is the founder and executive director of Kitty-Kind, which runs one of New York City's few no-kill shelters.

A longtime resident of Greenwich Village, Kess moved to East Orange in July. She is known for her efforts to find homes for sick cats.

"I take very good care of them," Kess told reporters Friday. "People who know me know there's no cruelty involved."

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OOOh....these kinds of people who think they are "doing good" make me sooo mad!!! This is not a healthy environment for cats or humans!! :furious:

I foster abandoned kittens, but I do it with the help of a local veteranarian. I never have overload and don't keep the cats. I work with the vet to make sure they get adopted into loving homes. As much as I hate seeing strays and homeless animals I realize I can't rescue them all. We have a lady down the street who feeds every stray that comes along and doesn't bother to get them spayed or neutered. I've rescued several kittens as a result...I've also buried a few that have died as a result of car hits. I know she thinks she is doing good by feeding them, but in the long run she's doing all cats a disservice because they all become feral and continue to breed....then they end up with disease or injuried...grrrr.


*stepping off soapbox*

Where do these people come from? Why even PRETEND to like animals if you are going to abuse them? We are not required by law to have them! Ugh! Makes me want to scream! Cats are my favorite animal.

I can go you even better ladies. I have an aquaintance who breeds Persian cats here in Westchester County. She lives in a 800 sq. ft house and there are 158 cats there! A couple of years ago she asked Rachel and I to stay there while she went out to the midwest to deliver some kittens she had sold. It took me wll over 3 hours to feed them, another 3 to scoop boxes 3 more to tidy up cages and then 3 more to feed again. But the kicker was when we opened a freezer downstairs looking for food for us, we found many many frozen bodies. Seems that she gives the imperfect ones, benedryl and the euthanizes them in the freezer.
From her cattery I have a cat with no eyes, one who came to me with the worst case of ringworm that she had no hair and one with a hole in her heart. She has been reported to the health dept but always manages to stay one step ahead of them. Poor kitties..

Nancy

Oh my gosh! How is your daughter? I think I would have invited EVERY neighbor in the hood over to view the freezer. Someone would have taken good care of her in a memorable way, I do believe!

The people that do this (mostly women) have a common problem. It is displayed in them rescuing animals. We had an egregious case out here a couple of years ago. A woman who worked full time as a nurse and had a 13 year old girl had her house overloaded with cats. She was overwhelmed and couldn't take care of them. She was in denial as many died or went uncared for. The irony was that the girl who she should have been taking care of and needed her was uncared for also and was removed from her home as she was judged an unfit parent.

no doubt, I agree. this behavior extends far beyond a lifestyle of eccentricity - the quirky woman down the street is harboring some sort of mental illness thats gone undetected for a while. the animal collection is only a sympton of the disorder, whichever one (or more) that may be.

imo, a tad "obsessive" to say the least.

vicktor said:

The people that do this (mostly women) have a common problem.

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My family says that when I am 80 I'm going to be one of those cat ladies :doh:

She is still at it as far as I know.. I will get Rachel to take a picture of our three girls that we took out of that hell hole and post them for you guys to see. With the exception of Piggy ( the no eyes, no nose gal) they have all turned out .

Nancy