Car cat lady ordered to pay fine

A Gold Coast woman who crammed 12 cats into seven cages and forced them to live in
her car has been hit with a $9,000 penalty.
Carol Lynette Samuels, of Southport, was fined $4,000 in the Southport Magistrates
Court on Wednesday for failing to provide appropriate living conditions for 12
Persian cats and 11 Pomeranian dogs.
She was also ordered to pay $5,000 in costs to the RSPCA, which was less than half
of what the animal welfare organisation had claimed for care costs.
The court heard that Ms Samuels kept the animals confined in her vehicle most of the
time, with no access to food, water or a litter tray.
An RSPCA spokesman said some of the cats were so crammed they were unable to turn
around inside their cage.
"RSPCA vets examined the cats and found bodies that were covered in ringworm and
numerous bleeding sores," the spokesman said.
"The cats also had severe urine scalding as a result of inadequate areas to toilet
and perform normal cat behaviour such as self grooming."
Ms Samuels was convicted of nine charges of breaching the duty of care to animals.