HYOGO (TR) – The Kobe Municipal Government earlier this year evicted a woman from a municipally run apartment after it received numerous complaints regarding the dozens of cats she kept inside, reports TBS News (Oct. 30).
In April, the woman was evicted after the government received numerous complaints about foul odors coming from the apartment, located in Higashinada Ward, according to the government.
The 53 cats inside the residence had not been spayed or neutered. There were also a few cat corpses found inside the residence.
“Before I knew it, they had multiplied,” the woman was quoted.
Under the municipal code, breeding of pets is prohibited. In 2006, the woman, aged in her 40s, moved into the residence with her three children. Eventually, the woman became unable to take care of the cats and moved to a separate residence.
The complaints about the foul odor began in 2015. The woman was subsequently warned by the government more than 10 times. However, she ignored each of the notifications.
Urine and feces
The city then filed a claim to evict her with the Kobe District Court in October of last year. This past January, the court ruled in favor of the city.
Urine and feces from the felines caused an estimated 10 million yen in property damage to the tatami flooring and walls of the 60-square-meter unit. The city may ask the woman to pay a portion of that cost.
A citizens group and volunteers have taken custody of the cats.
