At least 50 cats found in man's mobile home

MUNCIE, Ind. – Authorities believe a man was living in a southside mobile home in Indiana with at least 50 cats.

Phil Peckinpaugh, director of the Muncie Animal Shelter, said 35 of the felines – including a half-dozen kittens – were removed from the trailer in a mobile home park on Monday afternoon.

Officials planned to remove the remaining cats – Peckinpaugh believes there are at least 15 – from the trailer this week. Some of those felines were in the ceiling of the mobile home, or underneath the structure, on Monday.

The cats removed on Monday were taken to the animal shelter. Some seemed “fine,” Peckinpaugh said, while others might have respiratory or other ailments. They will each be examined by a veterinarian.

While the cats had access to food, the conditions in the mobile home were “deplorable,” with the amount of feces and trash inside making it “very difficult” to conduct a search, the shelter director said.

One dead cat was found. Its remains, in a trash bag, were found in the frozen foods compartment of the mobile home’s refrigerator.

A nearly overwhelming ammonia-like odor, from cat urine, could be detected from outside the mobile home. A shelter employee and a Delaware County sheriff’s deputy who went inside wore gas masks.

Sheriff Ray Dudley, who was at the scene, said it was possible the conditions in the trailer would lend themselves to animal neglect or cruelty charges. Deputy Prosecutor Steve Sneed was also present.

Peckinpaugh said it was possible the occupant of the trailer was “an overwhelmed rescuer.”

“It definitely appeared he cared (about) the cats,” he said.

The mobile home park is outside the Muncie city limits, but Peckinpaugh said ordinances in both the city and Delaware County place a limit of six cats per residence.

A citizen’s complaint brought the situation to the attention of authorities.

Peckinpaugh said when he arrived at the scene, he “immediately knew it was going to be an issue,” based on the odor -- and the number of cats peering out the mobile home’s windows.

Follow Douglas Walker on Twitter: @DouglasWalkerSP