French couple who kept 159 cats and 7 dogs banned from keeping pets

A French couple has received a one-year suspended sentence for subjecting dozens of animals to cruel conditions.

The couple, residents of Nice, were found to have housed 159 cats and seven dogs in their 80sqm (861sqft) apartment.

Last year, authorities uncovered the animals living in appalling conditions, with many suffering from dehydration, malnutrition, or parasitic infections.

“The couple failed to provide adequate care for the animals,” stated the judge.

The pair, a 68-year-old woman and a 52-year-old man, have been permanently banned from keeping pets and ordered to pay over €150,000 (£128,000) to animal rights charities and other parties.

Police became involved in a dispute at the couple’s residence last year, leading to the discovery of numerous animals confined to each room. Authorities noted the presence of animal excrement throughout the apartment.

Tragically, some of the cats and dogs succumbed to their poor health.

Investigators found the remains of at least two cats and two dogs in a bathroom.

During the court proceedings, the apartment’s owner described the animals as “the love of her life” but admitted to making serious mistakes.

She confessed to initially taking in her parents’ three cats and three dogs in 2018, then bringing around 30 cats from an abandoned building to her home, where they subsequently reproduced.

She expressed feeling “abandoned for leaving [the animals] abandoned.”

A psychiatric evaluation diagnosed her with “Noah’s syndrome” – a psychological compulsion to rescue animals, even when unable to adequately care for them.

Prosecutors had sought an 18-month prison sentence.

This was not the couple’s first encounter with legal authorities; they were previously investigated in 2014 for residing in an 18sqm studio with 13 cats and a dog.