Man tired of pet sitting crammed 7 cats in suitcase and plastic bin, Florida cops say

A man who agreed to pet sit for a friend is facing animal cruelty charges after six of the seven cats died while trapped in a plastic storage bin and a suitcase, according to Florida investigators.

The grisly discovery was made March 8, after he’d had enough and dropped the cats off at a shelter run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Largo, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Largo is just west of Tampa.

All seven cats were less than 18 months old.

“Five cats were in a small plastic bin and two cats were in a small suitcase,” the sheriff’s office reported in a March 27 news release.

“When employees opened the bin and the suitcase, five cats were deceased, and two cats were in critical condition. One of the cats had to be euthanized due to its poor condition. Additionally, the only surviving cat had an internal temperature of 106 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Evidence indicated the cats were alive when placed in the containers and had perished while trapped, officials said.

The investigation led to a 36-year-old man who lives in Ozona, Florida, and it was learned he was caring for the cats while their owner went on a business trip.

“After caring for the cats for approximately a week and a half .... he was sick of caring for them and began to plan the surrender,” the sheriff’s office said.

“(He) placed the cats in the bin and the suitcase because he stated he did not have any other carriers to put them in and dropped them off at the SPCA. It is unknown how long the cats were in the bin and suitcase.”

The suspect surrendered March 27 and faces “seven counts of aggravated animal cruelty,” which is a third degree felony, officials said.