Cat hoarder charged with animal cruelty

NORWICH, Conn. (WTNH) -- A Norwich man is facing animal cruelty charges, after authorities found at least 19 cats at his home.

The smell from one Vergason Avenue home is easily detected, even with all the doors and windows closed. 47-year-old Walter Cooper did not answer, but from outside the empty beer boxes and unsanitary conditions can be seen, as described in court papers charging him with 20 counts of animal cruelty.

"He says I don't know what it is, but he says all the cats seem to flock here," one neighbor said. "He says I don't go looking for them, they just seem to show up."

Police say the cats now number 19, along with a small dog. Police report from outside they "could smell the odor...50 feet away." While the inside was "covered wall to wall by cat feces...between four inches and two feet" high. A state social worker visiting the Norwich home says he became "infested with live flees...two of them had bitten him on the chest."

Cooper did not answer the door when News 8 went to the house, but standing on the stoop there were plenty of flies just flying around right outside the front door. Apparently he didn't answer for police either, who contacted him in June for a second inspection.

"People don't generally want to live in conditions like that," said Patrick McCormack, Uncas Health District, "so we try to provide as many supports as we can to make sure that issue gets resolved."

Police offered to bring the animals to a cat rescue, but Cooper never followed through.

"If you have unsanitary conditions such as being described then definitely a result of that could be that you could enhance illness that's already there," said McCormack, "or you could create illness that doesn't exist already."

McCormack says if the animal issues are not taken care of the health district may also take legal action.