Pune, Maharashtra (February 17, 2025): Over 300 cats were discovered living in unhygienic conditions in a 3BHK apartment on the ninth floor of Marvel Bounty Cooperative Housing Society in Hadapsar. The cats had reportedly been kept in the apartment for the past five to six years.
Following numerous complaints from local residents, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the police conducted an inspection of the apartment. Residents had raised concerns about the foul odor spreading throughout the society and constant cat sounds disturbing the peace. Despite several complaints to the municipal authorities, the issue persisted until action was taken.
The PMC issued a notice to the apartment owners, Rinku Bharadwaj and her sister Ritu Bharadwaj, directing them to relocate the cats within 48 hours. Residents had also reported that the cats’ waste was being disposed of into the drainage system, contributing to the unpleasant smell around the society.
According to sources, around 10 to 14 workers were employed to take care of the cats. The workers also faced difficulties transporting the waste via the lift, causing further inconvenience to the residents.
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On Thursday, PMC’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Sarika Phunde attempted to request the apartment owners to open the door. However, they delayed opening it for an hour. With police assistance, the door was eventually opened, and authorities discovered over 300 cats inside the apartment, including in the hall and bedroom. A strong odor was immediately noticeable upon opening the door.
According to reports, the cats were neither vaccinated nor sterilized. The owners had also not maintained any records regarding the cats' health, and some of the cats were found to be pregnant.
The PMC has directed the owners, who are believed to be cat lovers, to relocate the cats within 48 hours and has initiated further investigations into the matter.
PETA India reacted to the incident, describing it as animal hoarding. "A flat is no place to keep hundreds of cats. PETA India stands with the authorities on this and emphasises the urgent need to sterilise and vaccinate all the cats in this family's possession. The animals must also be removed from their possession to ensure proper care through adoptions and the help of local NGOs," PETA India said as quoted by FPJ.
"It is extremely important that animal hoarders are not mistaken for responsible animal shelters. Animal hoarders are persons whose unhealthy mental conditions or compulsion to hoard huge numbers of animals can cause suffering and criminal behaviour with horrific consequences for animals. Hoarders gather a huge number of animals and fail to provide for their most basic physical and social needs, including food, water, shelter, veterinary care and sanitary living conditions. Proper intervention is essential to prevent a relapse of hoarders' behaviour, including a ban on contact with animals as much as possible and psychiatric counselling," it further added.