SPCA Rescues 29 Cats From Hoarder Living In 25 Tons Of Filth

MONTEREY CO., Calif. -- Twenty-nine cats were rescued from an elderly man who was hoarding the animals in a remote location covered with 25 tons of garbage in unincorporated Monterey County on Tuesday morning, officials said.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for Monterey County arrived to find a 73-year-old man living in an area littered with about a dozen assorted trailers and 20 junk vehicles off Jolon Road in Lockwood at about 10:30 a.m., SPCA Sgt. Stacy Sanders said.

The Monterey County Sheriff's Office notified the SPCA of the cats after inspecting the area, code enforcement officer Phillip Hickenbottom said.

The man had been living in a motor vehicle on the property without running water, electricity or sewage for about 10 years, Hickenbottom said.

The cats were confined to five motor homes covered with dead mice, feces and trash, Sanders said..." More