Women Charged in Cat Neglect

Two women who kept 75 cats in their home in Columbia each face 225 counts related to the neglect and suffering of the animals, most of whom died or were put down, a Howard County police spokeswoman said.

Ayten Icgoren, 78, and Nese Enetullah Icgoren, 50, of the 7300 block of Swan Point Way, came to the attention of animal control officers in August after neighbors complained about a smell, said Sherry Llewellyn, the spokeswoman. When police contacted Ayten Icgoren, she claimed they had onlythree cats in the house, Llewellyn said. Officers served a search warrant at the house Aug. 10 and seized the cats.

The officers found 17 dead cats, Llewellyn said. The 58 that were still living showed signs of malnutrition and disease. A veterinarian put 50 of the cats down, and of the remaining eight, five later died. The surviving three are still in poor condition, Llewellyn said.

The women, who shared the house, each were charged with 75 counts of inflicting unnecessary pain and suffering, 75 counts of failure to provide proper care for the cats and 75 counts of violating the county's animal cruelty code. Ayten Icgoren also was charged with one count of interfering with a police investigation.

Llewellyn said that investigators were uncertain why the women were holding the cats and that the women could be sentenced to mandatory psychological counseling as a part of their punishment.

"We've seen hoarding cases before, but this one is quite significant because of the amount [of cats] in the residence and the horrible conditions in which they were living," Llewellyn said.