SPCA investigators hauled away cat after cat from 2118 South Chadwick, the home of Stephanie Sinkin.
UPDATE: 21 cats rescued, 6 dead, in hoarding investigation
"When the officer came here to execute the warrant, the fleas were just covering her whole face and the lice; you really couldn't see her face," said George Bengal.
SPCA director of law enforcement, George Bengal, calls it a classic case of hoarding.
The home was filled with trash and smelled of urine and feces.
"There are nests of cats all in the trash, and it's ceiling to floor in every room in the house," said Bengal.
Neighbors say they weren't aware of the conditions inside the home, only that Sinkin didn't seem to have working utilities the past couple of years; a fact confirmed by Bengal.
"I don't know how she survived as long as she did, I really don't," said neighbor Barbara Bagnato. "Because it's been a lot of years since she's had working heat and utilities. They just shut everything down."
"To be like that, not taking care of yourself, and have that type of situation is beyond bizarre to me," said Rick Boyer.
Investigators caught onto the animal cruelty after Sinkin brought a few cats to the SPCA for treatment. They were malnourished and one eventually died.
They obtained a search warrant and uncovered the deplorable conditions.
"She's very emotional about this. She obviously sees nothing wrong with the conditions or the conditions of the cats or even the conditions she's living in. She definitely needs help," Bengal said.
Sinkin faces animal cruelty charges and will undergo a psychological evaluation.
