RSPCA inspector describes how she came to the rescue of Wigan man's emaciated cats

Steven Corbett, 26, of Meadow Street, Springfield, was sentenced by Wigan magistrates for an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

RSPCA officers first attended on Christmas Day last year after suspicions were raised that the owner had left his cats alone in his flat.

The officer managed to phone the owner of the two cats, one black and white cat called Snowy, and one tabby and white called Nestle, who confirmed he left on December 23 and would return that evening.

But a follow-up visit on December 27 revealed that the owner had not returned as promised.

Insp Rachel Whalley, who investigated, fed the cats through the letterbox and noted that they frantically pawed at the food. She then contacted a vet and police for assistance in rescuing the cats.

She said: “As soon as I squeezed the food out the cats were ravenous and trying to paw the sachets out of my hands.

"After seeing their behaviour I was extremely concerned for their welfare, especially as I knew they would not have been fed, given water or checked on in days.

"When I got inside, both cats weren’t microchipped and both were underweight.

“The flat had a lot of clutter and hazards on the floor which would not be safe for cats to be around.

"There were lots of scattered empty packets of food on the floor near the kitchen, and two empty food bowls.

"I had a look around the flat to ensure that there were only the two cats. I saw two litter trays in the bedroom which were empty and had black plastic bags covering them.

"These contained cigarette butts and there were also a lot of cigarette butts surrounding the trays. There were also piles of cat faeces in the bathroom.”

The RSPCA took Snowy and Nestle into their care where they received the necessary care and treatment they needed at the RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital.

The court heard how the vet report stated that Snowy weighed just 1.1kg and was covered in flea dirt, whilst Nestle weighed just 1.5kg. The average normal weight for a cat is 3.6-4.5kgs.

The vet report concluded: “By failing to provide these needs the owner of Snowy and Nestle has allowed them to suffer. Regardless of who cares for them, provisions should be made for alternative carers if their owner was unable to attend the property for a period of time.”

Corbett was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty. He was also banned from keeping all animals indefinitely and cannot appeal this decision for at least five years.

He was also ordered to pay £400 in costs, £425 legal fees and a £114 victim surcharge to be deducted from benefits.

The two cats have since been rehomed by the RSPCA.

Insp Whalley added: “The suffering inflicted on these skinny and terribly hungry cats was completely unnecessary and could have been easily avoided had the owner provided care for them over the festive period. The conditions they were kept in were also totally unacceptable.

"I’m glad that we were able to rescue Snowy and Nestle and they have now found loving forever homes.”