Langford woman charged with animal cruelty after failing to give sufficient food or water to ginger cat

A woman will front court charged with animal cruelty after allegedly locking her cat in a house without food or water and starving it for weeks on end.

WA Police contacted RSPCA WA in March after an officer visiting a home in Langford on unrelated business saw the ginger cat through the window.

From a distance, the officer claimed they could see the cat’s spine, hips, ribs and sunken eyes.

The call prompted an RSPCA inspector to go to the house, where she observed the cat through the locked window, with no food or water visible.

After a neighbour reported that no one had been at the home in two weeks, the inspector obtained an emergency warrant and got a locksmith to help her enter the home.

“Once inside, the inspector found the cat had been locked in a bedroom where there was no food or water, apart from some dry instant noodles,” a statement from the RSPCA said.

The inspector seized the cat and took him to Baldivis Vet Hospital where he was found to be dehydrated. The vet allegedly found evidence that the cat had gone a long time without food or water.

The cat was then taken to the RSPCA’s Animal Care Centre in Malaga where he received medical treatment.

According to the RSPCA, he has since recovered, with his weight nearly doubling since his rescue.

A 41-year-old woman was charged with animal cruelty, with the RSPCA alleging it was her failure to provide proper and sufficient food and water which led to the feline’s body condition and dehydration.

The woman will front Fremantle Magistrate’s Court on July 30.