Toronto woman who had 107 cats found guilty of animal cruelty

TORONTO – A Toronto woman who had more than 100 cats in her home has been found guilty of animal cruelty.

Diane Way, 67, was charged nearly five years ago after officers with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals went into her home.

The officers found 107 cats, most of them in poor shape and many inbred.

Justice William Horkins described Way’s home as “an unbelievable sight.”

“Wall to wall cats; floors, walls and furniture rotting and coated in cat urine, cat fur and cat feces,” he wrote.

“The smell was literally over-powering. The first officer on the scene thought there might be a dead body inside the house. She entered but had to retreat from the eye-watering stench of the place.”

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Way was found guilty Thursday of cruelty to animals and causing or permitting unnecessary suffering to animals.

Many of the cats were in a feral state, with their fur matted with urine and fecal waste, Horkins noted. The cats were suffering from malnutrition, dehydration and a variety of medical conditions.

“This was a sad case,” Horkins said. “Diane Way is not a mean person and she had great affection for her cats. However, she allowed her population of cats to get totally out of control. The result was horrible. She failed to deal with it and the results were tragic.”

She is set to be sentenced in May.

With files from The Canadian Press