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21 Caged Cats Rescued From Filthy Ypsilanti Township Garage

YPSILANTI (WWJ/AP) - A woman who investigators say was housing more than 20 cats in unsanitary conditions inside a dark, unheated garage in Ypsilanti Township may face animal cruelty charges.

The Humane Society of Huron Valley found the 21 cats on Jan. 10 after an anonymous online tip, according to a news release from the organization.

The cats were living in small metal cage traps, without much space to move around, the organization claims; and the cages were stacked on top of one another and filled with feces and urine.

The pungent odor in the garage with no heat and no electricity was overwhelming, and the cats — some with urine burns — were filthy and scared. Many were unused to human touch.

"This is a very upsetting case. Live traps are absolutely not meant for housing," said Tanya Hilgendorf, HSHV's president and CEO, in a statement.

"It would have been a torturous existence to be kept alive in filth in a place where even the smallest of movement was impossible — like a person living day and night in a porta-potty."

Hilgendorf said the owner of the cats and renter of the garage, near Leforge and Clark Roads, said she was trying to help save the cats find them homes.

Animal hoarding is commonly associated with serious mental health issues, but without mandatory treatment and monitoring, the situation never changes," Hilgendorf said.

Society spokeswoman Wendy Welch told MLive the organization will seek charges against the woman for animal neglect and unsanitary conditions.

The society is providing the cats with medical and behavioral treatment and the HSHV is accepting donations for their care.

Welch said the cats are doing well and that some of them are ready for adoption.

TM and © Copyright 2017 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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