Wallsend woman given life ban from keeping animals after pet cat starves to death in 'filthy flat'

A woman from Wallsend who left her pet to die has been banned from keeping any animals for the rest of her life.

Deborah Ferry's cat Megan was found dead in the living room at her property on Tynemouth Road after she failed to return to feed her pet cat for four days.

The severely decomposing remains of another cat were also discovered behind a bath panel.     

The three-year-old tortoiseshell cat called Megan was found dead in the living room after her owner failed to return to feed her.

The RSPCA had taken Ms Ferry to court over her treatment of her pet.

The court heard the 49-year-old failed to seek veterinary help for her pet's chronic flea infestation which caused Megan to suffer inflamed skin and hair loss for several weeks prior to her death.

The vet said her skeleton was prominent and she was suffering from a “severe flea infestation with live adult fleas and a heavy crusting of flea faeces.”

The poorly cat weighed just 1.85kg (4.1 lb) when found in Ferry's house.

RSPCA inspector, Kirsty Keogh-Laws, visited the property on 25 August 2022 following concerns for Ferry's feline.

With no one answering the door, Ms Keogh-Laws looked through the letterbox and noticed a strong smell and could see flies and rubbish strewn across the floor.

The path at the back of the property was also mess and the officer could see the kitchen looked dirty and hazardous. 

Ms Keogh-Laws put food through the letterbox and sealed the front and back doors with tape, leaving a card for the occupant to call the RSPCA urgently.

The next day, the inspector could see a cat sitting on top of a shopping trolley so pushed cat food through the letterbox and ice cubes with a further note asking the occupant to call the RSPCA.

The charity’s officers continued to monitor the property on a daily basis and post food and water through the letterbox.

On 29 August 2022 the police were called by RSPCA inspector Rowena Proctor to gain entry.

Inspector Proctor told the court: “The smell through the letterbox was dreadful and there were a lot of flies buzzing at the window. Once the door was open, the smell was so much worse than expected. Flies seemed to be everywhere, hundreds of them. 

The officer described how she noticed a “cat-sized” hole in the side of the bath and pulled the panel off to find a black and white cat which had been dead for some time.

“Thousands of live fleas attached themselves to me once the panel was removed,” said the inspector.

“I have dealt with a lot of flea ridden animals but I have never seen fleas to this extent. My trousers looked as though they were moving because they were almost completely covering me."

Ms Ferry admitted to three animal offences at North Tyneside Magistrate's Court on 5 May 2023.

She was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and also ordered to pay £600 costs and a victim surcharge of £154.

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