By Joshua Robinson – 

A West Yorkshire man who abandoned his home and left two cats without care for nine days has been banned from keeping animals for three years.

Reece Glossop (D.o.B 7/5/2000), of Wharfedale Lawns, Wetherby, was found guilty in his absence of one offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 after he initially failed to attend a court hearing.

He appeared for sentencing at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates’ Court on 11th April where as well as the disqualification he was told to complete 20 hours of unpaid work and 15 Rehabilitation Activity Days (RAR) as part of a 12-month community order.

The court heard how Glossop left his property over the Christmas and New Year period with his cats, a black and white female called Daisy and a male tabby cat called Mustafa, having to fend on their own in an unkempt flat littered with hazards.

There was no suitable toileting area for them and when the RSPCA visited the property faeces had piled up.

RSPCA Inspector Emma Ellis said in a statement to the court that there was a strong smell of ammonia in the communal area outside the flat when she attended on 11th January 2023.

The inspector met the defendant, who was at the property at the time, and he told her he was cleaning the flat. When the inspector asked him about the welfare of the cats, he said he had left on 24th December to go to London because of family issues and claimed “someone was supposed to be looking after them.”

“He said he came back on December 28 to check on the cats, but he had to return to London and then he came back again on January 6. When I asked who was looking after the cats during that time he replied, ‘they were looking after themselves’,” said the inspector.

The defendant left food in a bowl in the living room for the cats, but there was no water provided. Although both Daisy and Mustafa were in normal body condition, a veterinary check later found that Mustafa had a heart murmur which may have been caused by stress.

There were cat faeces behind the flat door and the area behind the living room door was covered with mouldy faeces, while the room itself was strewn with rubbish.

In mitigation, the court was told Glossop had been diagnosed with ADHD and suffered from psychosis. Before committing the offence he had received therapy for a personality disorder during his time at a psychiatric unit.

The defendant was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £114 and costs of £200.

The RSPCA says owners should not leave their cats unattended for any length of time when it may cause them distress. If they do arrange for someone to look after their felines when they are away from home they should make sure the environment is safe and there is access to food and water and an adequate area to toilet.

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