Neighbour thought “disgraceful” kitten farm was crime scene when cleaners turned up in PPE
Neighbours were none the wiser of a kitten farm near where they lived
A neighbour has revealed how she thought a “disgraceful” kitten farm was a crime scene when cleaners turned up in white Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
As previously reported, a terraced house was left swamped with cat faeces after a tenant abandoned the Locks Heath property owing landlord James Garside £12,000.
But the owner’s horror was compounded when he found the house he rented to a woman was also “absolutely trashed”. She was finally evicted from the property in February after an eviction notice was served in September.
A video captured by a friend of the landlord revealed the extent of the shocking mess in the property in Monarch Close. The clip shows a large amount of cat poo in the bath, faeces covering the floor in the bedroom, bathroom, lounge and kitchen - where there is also rat droppings. Numerous cat trays “overflowing” with defecation were also left dumped.
Rubbish is seen strewn across all areas of the house including on the stairs with mould and cat waste stained into the carpets.
Now neighbours have told The News they were oblivious to the horrific scene unfolding near where they lived. One person, who did not want to be named, said: “I thought it was a crime scene when the cleaners turned up in PPE a few months ago.
“I was none the wiser there was a kitten farm but there was a smell coming from rubbish bags in the back garden. I knew the house had been ruined with all the cleaners who turned up. It’s disgraceful and horrible.
“I saw her coming and going. She would get a taxi at different hours to work. Then one day she got in a car and that was the last time I saw her.
“She lived on her own and never made eye contact. It felt like she never wanted to be spoken to. It all makes sense now.”
Commenting on the video, the neighbour said: “It makes me feel quite sick. I think she’s disgusting and horrible. She’s really stitched him up.”
The resident added: “I never saw any cats - maybe she did not want people to see them. It’s a mystery how she managed to get them out with no car and where she took them.”
Another neighbour said he did not notice or smell anything. “There was no communication with her. She kept herself to herself,” he said.
“It’s weird. You take a risk when you have someone in your house.”
A third local said: “I had no idea. It’s not very nice at all. I hope the cats are ok.”
A fourth person added: “It’s awful someone would do that. It makes you feel bad for the cats. How can anyone do that?”
As reported, police investigated whether criminal damage could be prosecuted before ending their probe. “Officers exhausted all reasonable lines of enquiry and the investigation has now been filed pending any further information coming to light,” a spokesperson said.
Now Fareham councillor Joanne Burton has said: “This activity should have been licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 for its breeding element.
“It was not licenced and, had an application been submitted, it is unlikely the operation would have met the required licensing criteria. Proper licensing is vital to ensure that animals are protected and responsible practices are followed.”
In the video of the house, a friend of James says: “Sorry mate your place has been absolutely trashed. It’s horrendous.”
Providing a running commentary as he walks through the house, the friend says it “beggars belief” and that he had “never seen anything like it in his life”. He went on to say how the tenant was “living like an animal” with it “absolutely horrendous”.
James previously said: “It started last year after I had been renting the house out to her for a number of months. It started with late or missing rent then there was little to no communication on what was happening.
“Towards the back end of the year this kitten farm must have been fully set up and running. By September she was served an eviction notice but it took until February this year to remove her fully.
“Essentially there is no information on what she is doing now or where she went. I did essentially get confirmation that she was working in a pub but unable to confirm how regular she was in there. Police don’t want to know and RSPCA are lacking resources to follow this up fully.
“I am struggling with neighbours not fully corroborating on the smell, noise and people going back and forth to the property as I know longer live locally to check on it fully.”
The landlord estimates he has lost around £12,000 in unpaid rent on top of the cost of paying a specialist firm to carry out cleaning for biological waste and to fumigate the property over the course of five days.
But despite efforts to restore the house to what it was, James said he is still unable to rent out the property because of the mess left. “The faeces and urine are hard to get rid of so I can’t rent it out until it is sorted. It still smells badly and the smell sticks to your clothes,” he said.
James said he has been left irritated by his predicament. “It’s frustrating to not be able to get any compensation or be able to prosecute. Even with landlord insurance there is less than a 50 per cent chance of getting anything back,” he said.
“She could just go elsewhere and do the same. It’s really annoying,” he said.
A spokesperson for animal charity the RSPCA said: “Unfortunately, we are unable to discuss complaints about specific people and what action may have been taken. We understand how frustrating that is for animal lovers but releasing information could prejudice a future prosecution or could lead to us being fined.
“We are so grateful to people who report suspected animal suffering to us and we would like to reassure people we will always look into and, if necessary, investigate any complaints made to us about animal welfare.
“Cat breeding is not formally regulated in England or Wales and there are no proper safeguards in place to protect female cats from being overbred, kept in poor health and giving birth to litters in unsuitable conditions. The RSPCA would like to see cat breeding regulated as it is for dogs, with regular inspections of licensed breeders.
“Anyone who has a welfare concern about a kitten they have purchased, whether it’s relating to poor health or the environment and conditions from which it was purchased, should report them to the RSPCA’s cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.”