Man Arrested In Feces-Filled Home

[Ban Hammer 14,290]

OCALA, Fla., Apr. 16, 2007

A man living in a home with a layer of animal feces between 2 and 3 inches deep and as many as 300 cats, both alive and dead, was arrested Friday, authorities said.

Jonathan Terpstra, 61, was charged with 55 counts of animal cruelty, two counts of tampering with evidence and one count of resisting without violence, the Ocala Star-Banner reported.

Authorities had to break some windows to ventilate the home. Oxygen levels inside the home were low and ammonia levels extremely high, said Lt. Ron Baroni, with Marion County Fire Rescue.

Animal feces also was backed up in corners and crevices, Baroni said.

One deputy told the paper that when he arrived at the home, there were vultures feeding on a cat carcass and more vultures on the rooftop.

Animal control officials removed at least 80 cats from the home by Friday evening, said Dennis Underwood, an animal control field supervisor with the county's Code Enforcement Department. The animals were being examined, Underwood said.

Terpstra was being held at the Marion County jail on $1,000 bond.

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Edited April 17, 2007 by charlesandnessa

[sereia 0]

that is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO wrong. i don't even know what else to say. sicko.

[Otto 83]

was he shi*-faced???

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

300 cats in one house.... Yikes... I have enough trouble with two.

[sereia 0]

yeah leave a litter box alone for a couple of cats for a week and that smell will knock your socks off... imagine 300?!!!? what the f@@#$ck!

[Niels Bohr 72]

Authorities had to break some windows to ventilate the home. Oxygen levels inside the home were low and ammonia levels extremely high, said Lt. Ron Baroni, with Marion County Fire Rescue.

Animal feces also was backed up in corners and crevices, Baroni said.

One deputy told the paper that when he arrived at the home, there were vultures feeding on a cat carcass and more vultures on the rooftop.

Reminds me of movies where human cannabalism happens.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

yeah leave a litter box alone for a couple of cats for a week and that smell will knock your socks off... imagine 300?!!!? what the f@@#$ck!

I did mine tonight - one whiff of urine out of that box and I'm ready to heave.

[MissStacey 1]

We had a situation like that about 5 years ago in Edmonton. One of my friends was an SPCA Constable and had to go in there. The house had to be torn down after, it was disgusting. All the cats in that house that were alive had to be put down.

Edited April 17, 2007 by Stacey33

[sereia 0]

awwwwwwwwwwwww:( poor kitties. i hope this man goes to prison! i'd place a bet on them having to tear down his house as well..................gross!

[JoeMama 0]

Absolutely disgusting! I don't know what's people's fascination with allowing so many damn cats to occupy a home! Every home that's had a cat I've walked in to during my life, I've always smelled that stinking litter box! How do cat owners tolerate the stench? Is it that avoidable? The cats take a ####### in a box. They roll the ####### around with their paws and bury it. Then they jump and walk all over kitchen counters where food is prepared. Not to mention all the other places they walk all over the house with their crappy paws. I don't get it. I can't be convinced that cats are clean animals.

[Ban Hammer 14,290]

Absolutely disgusting! I don't know what's people's fascination with allowing so many damn cats to occupy a home! Every home that's had a cat I've walked in to during my life, I've always smelled that stinking litter box! How do cat owners tolerate the stench? Is it that avoidable? The cats take a ####### in a box. They roll the ####### around with their paws and bury it. Then they jump and walk all over kitchen counters where food is prepared. Not to mention all the other places they walk all over the house with their crappy paws. I don't get it. I can't be convinced that cats are clean animals.

and a dog licks its nuts before it licks your hands. do you think they are cleaner?

btw, most of us cat owners don't go smelling the litter box - and frequently changing it helps too. but i doubt you'd know that.

[Nagishkaw 510]

That hoarder needs to have a hole put behind his ear.

[pixiegunn 0]

I'm a bit surprised at the reaction here. Yes, it is sickening, but it's mostly just sad. I'm guessing that man has a mental illness and is indeed a hoarder and it just got way out of control. What's amazing is how far society (neighbours, family members) let it get; this man must have no outside support or someone would have stepped in back when he had a few dozen cats.

[homesick_american 1]

Absolutely disgusting! I don't know what's people's fascination with allowing so many damn cats to occupy a home! Every home that's had a cat I've walked in to during my life, I've always smelled that stinking litter box! How do cat owners tolerate the stench? Is it that avoidable? The cats take a ####### in a box. They roll the ####### around with their paws and bury it. Then they jump and walk all over kitchen counters where food is prepared. Not to mention all the other places they walk all over the house with their crappy paws. I don't get it. I can't be convinced that cats are clean animals.

They're not, but people are far dirtier.

You can always smell a cat...well, I can tell who has young children as soon as I step through the door even if there aren't any toys around. I don't know how they live with that smell, but I suppose that they get used to it, just as people with cats get used to it.

[JoeMama 0]

Absolutely disgusting! I don't know what's people's fascination with allowing so many damn cats to occupy a home! Every home that's had a cat I've walked in to during my life, I've always smelled that stinking litter box! How do cat owners tolerate the stench? Is it that avoidable? The cats take a ####### in a box. They roll the ####### around with their paws and bury it. Then they jump and walk all over kitchen counters where food is prepared. Not to mention all the other places they walk all over the house with their crappy paws. I don't get it. I can't be convinced that cats are clean animals.

and a dog licks its nuts before it licks your hands. do you think they are cleaner?

btw, most of us cat owners don't go smelling the litter box - and frequently changing it helps too. but i doubt you'd know that.

Hey Chuck. Your direct response to my post made me realize that I must have been insensitive to your way of life. If consuming cat ####### with each meal in your home is what you prefer, I have no problem with that. Obviously, I have offended you because you tried to insult me with what wit you have. Am I sorry? Absolutely not. My name is not Don Imus. For a person, like yourself, that "THINKS" they know it all, you were sure quick to say that you doubt I would know about frequently changing a cat's litter box. I've only read a couple of your posts and that was enough for me to see what kind of person you are. As much as you are trying to impress everyone with your intelligence, I'm not the first person to tell you that you DON'T know as much as you think you do. And, you, sure as hell, don't know anything about me. I welcome whatever comments you have. I know myself, and others, here would find it very entertaining and hang onto every word you write! I will warn you. Spelling and punctuation count!

Here's something to add your collective thought process running on low voltage. My dog is a female. She does not have testicles, as you have stated. But I doubt you'd know that!