Pune Woman Served Notice For Keeping Over 300 Cats In 3-Bedroom Flat

A woman in Pune was issued a notice after the Maharashtra animal husbandry department and police found at least 300 cats in her three-bedroom Hadapsar apartment. The officials visited Rinku Bharadwaj's home in Marvel Bounty Society after neighbours complained of an 'overwhelming stench' due to housing hundreds of cats. The owner has been ordered to release the cats within two days. The felines are being rescued from the 'unhygienic conditions' and transferred to the Municipal Corporation, officials said.

'Dried Up Faeces, No Vaccination Reports'

According to a report in the Asian News International, neighbours complained of disturbance caused by at least 300 cats living in the home. According to police, she "would often bring stray cats home and release them when the cats became healthy. Due to this, a lot of cats had accumulated in the apartment, creating unhygienic conditions."

#WATCH | #Pune: 300+ Cats Found In Hadapsar Apartment; PETA India Says Animal Hoarders Should Not Be Mistaken For Animal Lovers#punenews #maharashtra #petaindia #PETA #cats pic.twitter.com/ekobpUvX5Z

— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) February 17, 2025

Pune's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), visited the flat last week and reported, "Fresh and dried up faecal matter was found in the flat and there were only four to five litter trays made available for the over 300 cats. Veterinary care was found lacking with no vaccination or medical records available for any of the felines."

Officials told the Hindustan Times, "The caretakers themselves were not inoculated and admitted to being unaware of the exact number of cats, indicating a lack of proper management and care. There was clear evidence of uncontrolled breeding with multiple pregnant cats present and no records of sterilisation or birth control measures."

Inspector Nilesh Jagdale said, "The neighbours called the Municipal Corporation, and its officials reached the apartment, surveyed the flats, and gave notice to the owner that all the cats would be released within two days... No case has been registered yet, and we will consult our senior officials and corporation officials to take legal action."

#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra | On 300 cats found in a residential apartment, Inspector Nilesh Jagdale says, "The owner of an apartment in Marvel Bounty Society would often bring stray cats home and release them when the cats became healthy... Due to this, a lot of cats had… pic.twitter.com/SXOuGgdAMk

— ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2025