Paris, Sept 21. (dpa/GNA) – Animal welfare activists have discovered more than 75 cats in a small flat in Paris, French media reported on Monday.
Following a forced eviction from a social housing flat in the 15th arrondissement, the police and a bailiff asked the charity YouCare for assistance, the newspaper Le Parisien reported.
As they visited on Thursday, the volunteers came across 75 cats in the flat, which measured around 50 square metres, said the organization’s chairman, Thomas Moreau.
The animals had been kept there in appalling conditions, and some were taken to a veterinary clinic. “Dead kittens were also found in the freezer,” said Moreau. The charity was unable to take in all the cats at once, and launched an appeal for help.
Around 30 cats had to be left behind in the flat temporarily, and are being looked after there daily by volunteers.
The charity’s chairman told the newspaper that the incident, represented a probable case of animal hoarding. In French, this is referred to as ‘Noah syndrome,’ a term derived from the biblical figure Noah and his ark.
People with this psychiatric condition, hoard large numbers of pets in a confined space, without being able to care for, feed or provide medical treatment for the animals properly.
GNA