After a forced eviction in Paris's 15th arrondissement, YouCare volunteers found more than 75 cats living in a roughly 50 m² flat, many in appalling conditions. Some animals were taken to a veterinary clinic and volunteers found dead kittens in a freezer. About 30 cats remain temporarily at the property and are fed and checked daily while the charity appeals for help and works to rehome and treat the animals. Authorities consider the case likely to be animal hoarding, often called "Noah syndrome."
More Than 75 Cats Found Cramped Into Tiny Paris Flat After Eviction
FILE PHOTO - A black cat sits on a fence. (is associated with: «75 cats found in small Paris flat after tenant evicted») Yegor Aleyev/TASS via ZUMA Press/dpa
Volunteers from the animal welfare charity YouCare discovered more than 75 cats crammed into a small social housing flat in Paris's 15th arrondissement following a forced eviction, French media reported.
The charity said the flat measured roughly 50 square metres and that many of the animals were living in appalling conditions. Police and a bailiff had requested YouCare's assistance when the tenant was removed from the property.
Some cats were taken straight to a veterinary clinic for treatment, while volunteers found a disturbing sign of neglect: "Dead kittens were also found in the freezer," YouCare chairman Thomas Moreau told Le Parisien.
Because the charity could not accommodate all the animals at once, it launched an appeal for public help and resources. About 30 cats initially had to remain at the flat; volunteers now visit daily to feed and check them while arrangements continue to rehome or treat the others.
"This appears to be a case of animal hoarding," Moreau said, describing a situation in which someone accumulates large numbers of pets without the means to care for them properly.
In French this behavior is often called "Noah syndrome," a reference to the biblical story of Noah and his ark. Local authorities and the charity are coordinating to ensure the animals receive veterinary care and to find long-term placements.
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