Inside the Leeds flat full of rubbish and faeces where man left cats to fend for themselves
A Leeds man has been banned from keeping animals after abandoning two cats in an unhygienic flat littered with faeces and hazards.
Reece Glossop, 23, of Wharfedale Lawns, Wetherby, left his home over Christmas and New Years, leaving his cats behind for nine days. This included a black and white female called Daisy and a male tabby cat called Mustafa, who were left to fend for themselves in his flat which was unkempt and filled with hazards.
There was no area for them to go to the toilet and so by the time the RSPCA visited the flat, faeces had piled up in the flat.
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Glossop was found guilty in his absence of one offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 after initially failing to attend a court hearing. He appeared for sentencing at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court on Apirl 11 and was banned from keeping animals for three years, told to complete 20 hours of unpaid work and 15-hours of Rehabilitation Activity Days under a 12-month community order.
RSPCA Inspector Emma Ellis described in a statement to the court the strong smell of ammonia in the communal area outside the flat during her visit on January 11, 2023. The inspector met the defendant at the property, and he said he was cleaning to the flat.
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She asked about the welfare of the cats and he said he had left on December 24 to go to London because of family issues. He said "someone was supposed to be looking after them".
"He said he came back on December 28 to check on the cats, but he had to return to London and then he came back again on January 6. When I asked who was looking after the cats during that time he replied, ‘they were looking after themselves’," said the inspector.
Glossop had left food in a bowl in the living room, but there was no water. Daisy and Mustafa were in a normal body condition, but it was later found that Mustafa had a heart murmur, which may have been the result of stress.
Cat faeces were behind the flat door and the area behind the living room door was covered in mouldy faeces. The room was also covered in rubbish.
In mitigation, the court heard how Glossop had been diagnosed with ADHD and suffered from psychosis. He had received therapy for a personality disorder while at a psychiatric unit.
Glossop was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £114 and costs of £200.
According to the RSPCA, owners should not leave cats unattended "for any length of time when it may cause them distress". If someone is meant to look after them while the owner is away, they should make sure the environment is safe and they have access to both food and water and a place to go to the toilet.