*** Warning upsetting images ***
The black and white female kitten called Morritz died after being put on a full cycle as punishment by her owner for going to the toilet in the house
A woman from Essex has been disqualified indefinitely from keeping all animals after she put her 12-week-old kitten in a washing machine after she had been “naughty” and defecated in the house.
Following an RSPCA prosecution, Catherine Young (DOB 26/11/1966), of Maldon Way, Clacton-on-Sea, pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences at a hearing at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 6 October.
The court heard how the RSPCA was contacted after Young rang a veterinary practice on 15 June to say one of her kittens had died at home.
When she eventually arrived at the practice later that evening, she had with her one live male kitten called Bobbitz, and a dead kitten called Morritz, who was cold and stiff with wet fur.
The court heard that when questioned about what had happened by a veterinary surgeon at the practice, Young admitted she had put Morritz in the washing machine because she had been “naughty” and defecated in the house. She said she had rubbed the kitten’s face in the faeces to tell her off before putting her in the washing machine on a short cycle to clean her fur. She said she had done this before and Morritz had been “fine.”
Young also admitted to the vet that she had withheld food and water from both kittens in the past for at least 24 hours because they had been naughty. Bobbitz, a semi long haired black and white kitten, was examined and found to be clinically well. Young was told that he would stay at the practice to be looked after and she would be unable to have him back.
RSPCA inspector Jessica Dayes, who investigated the case for the animal welfare charity, interviewed Young on 17 June. “No other animals were seen at the address, however empty litter trays, cat litter, a broken cat carrier and a bag of cat food were still in the kitchen,” she said.
In his witness statement to the court, the vet said: “It is my opinion that the deceased kitten had undergone significant unnecessary suffering by being deliberately placed in a washing machine and then this being placed on a wash cycle. The spinning of the machine and the water would have caused significant pain, injury and huge amounts of stress.”
Young, who represented herself, said she had a personality disorder and mental health issues. She was also fined £200 and ordered to pay £145 in costs and a £34 victim surcharge.
Bobbitz has been renamed Gulliver and is doing well in a new home.
To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit our website or call our donation line on 0300 123 8181.
(Seeing a dead kitten in feed first thing monday morning is too much. Animal cruelty is horrible e… https://t.co/KE0jTGgAdT
I would like to see her put in a psychiatric prison indefinitely!! She will get her hands on more cats and kill them the same way!! Something tells me she done this many tines before this – and now she finally got caught by the authorities!!
Yes this was such a sad story. 🙁
THis was one of my worst nightmares, to find a kitten after the wash cycle was done. I made sure to look before turning the machine on. But this? It’s pure evil!
I know. I wouldn’t normally share this kind of story but that person needed shaming. ?
Agreed. And it is necessary to remind people who give away puppies and kittens that you never know if that kind of torture is going to be their fate.
It’s hard to imagine a kitten survived going through a wash cycle before. There had to be brain damage from it.
those poor kittens!
They should put her in an industrial washing machine. Pure evil.
That’s horrible! And only less than £ 500 fine!
Here, our Parliament approved this law: Article 544 ter of the Criminal Code, “mistreatment of animals”:
Anyone who, for cruelty or without necessity, causes an injury to an animal or subjects it to torture or behaviour or to fatigue or work that is unbearable due to its ethological characteristics is punished with imprisonment from three months to eighteen months or with a fine from € 5,000 to 30,000. Whoever causes the death of the animal is seen to increase the sentence by half, therefore from six months to three years of imprisonment or from € 10,000 to 45,000.
That would be more equal for you in Great Britain as well!
Ciao
Sid
OMG, I hope this woman never had any human children in her care, let alone animals! Emotionally disturbed or not, she belongs in supervised care and never allowed near anyone small and defenseless.
This is one of my worse nightmares I remember reading something like this before and every time I put my machine on I would always think what it would be like for my boy if he crept in UN noticed but I do always check. Horrible sad thing poor little kitty that just wanted love and caring for. How did she manage to be in possession of the kitties anyway. Bless the little one and the brave one who survived.???