Woman handed suspended prison sentence for leaving her pet cat to starve to death

A woman who left her pet cat to starve to death in a filthy property after she moved out has been banned from keeping any animal for the rest of her life.
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Deborah Ferry, 49, has also been handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, in a case which animal welfare officers described as “extremely upsetting”.

Three-year-old tortoiseshell cat Megan was found dead in the living room of her property in Tynemouth Road, Wallsend, after Ferry failed to return to feed her. The severely decomposing remains of another cat were also discovered behind a bath panel.

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A vet who gave evidence in the case – which was brought by the RSPCA – said that Megan, who weighed just 1.85kg (4.1lb) when she was found, had been starved and this had been exacerbated by undiagnosed liver disease, for which no treatment had been sought by her owner.

Megan the cat starved to death in a filthy house riddled with flies.Megan the cat starved to death in a filthy house riddled with flies.
Megan the cat starved to death in a filthy house riddled with flies.

Ferry, who admitted three animal welfare offences when she appeared before North Tyneside magistrates, had also failed to seek veterinary help for her pet’s chronic flea infestation which had caused the cat to suffer from inflamed skin and hair loss.

The court heard how RSPCA inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws had visited the property on August 25 last year following concerns for the welfare of a cat living there.

There was no reply at the house, although looking through the letterbox, the officer noted a strong smell, the presence of flies and rubbish strewn across the floor.

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Although no cat was seen or heard, the inspector put food through the letterbox and sealed the front and back doors with tape, leaving a card for the occupant to call the RSPCA urgently.

Deborah Ferry's house. A second dead cat was found behind the bath panel.Deborah Ferry's house. A second dead cat was found behind the bath panel.
Deborah Ferry's house. A second dead cat was found behind the bath panel.

Enquiries were made locally and the number of a potential owner – Deborah Ferry – was given to her. When she called the number, the mobile was answered by a man who said he didn’t know the defendant.

The following day the officer returned to the house. The tapes on both doors were still intact, although a tortoiseshell cat could now be seen sitting on top of a shopping trolley in the living room.

Cat food and ice cubes were put through the letterbox and another note was left asking the occupant to contact the RSPCA.

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The charity’s officers continued to monitor the property on a daily basis and post food and water through the letterbox. The tapes remained sealed and on August 29 the police were called by RSPCA inspector Rowena Proctor to gain entry.

She told the court: “The smell through the letterbox was dreadful and there were a lot of flies buzzing at the window. Once the door was open, the smell was so much worse than expected. Flies seemed to be everywhere, hundreds of them.”

The officer described how she noticed a “cat-sized” hole in the side of the bath and pulled the panel off to find a black and white cat which had been dead for some time. The animal’s pelvic bones were visible and no eyeballs remained in its head.

“Thousands of live fleas attached themselves to me once the panel was removed,” said the inspector.

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“I have dealt with a lot of flea-ridden animals but I have never seen fleas to this extent. My trousers looked as though they were moving because they were almost completely covering me. When leaving the property, myself and police officers had to douse ourselves in a household flea spray that I had in my van."

Inspector Proctor found Megan dead on the floor beside the shopping trolley in the living room. Police enquiries were made and Ferry was arrested at an address in Wallsend later that day.

A post mortem was also carried out on the cat which showed that Megan had a portosystemic shunt which was affecting her liver function and food metabolism. Stunted growth, lack of appetite and neurological signs would have occurred – all of which her owner should have sought veterinary attention for.

During her interview, Ferry - who was also ordered to pay £600 costs and a victim surcharge of £154 – described the living conditions as a “s**t hole” and said it had been like that for two to three months. She said she was disgusted with herself and confirmed that she had neglected the cats, but could not afford gas or electricity at the property and was staying with her partner.