By Scott Buttram, publisher
TRUSSVILLE –According to Trussville police public information officer Michael Bruce, a home in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood has been declared uninhabitable by city building inspectors after an estimated 100 cats were found living inside the dwelling. Police officials would not rule out the possibility of an eventual condemnation of the property.
“Thirty to forty cats were removed last night (Friday),” Bruce said. “It’s impossible to give an accurate number at this time, but it’s estimated that as many as 100 could be inside.”
Police estimate as many as 100 cats could be in a Sherman Oaks home.
Photo by The Trussville Tribune
Police were alerted to the situation by neighbors who complained of the odor coming from the house, Bruce said.
A worker from the Greater Birmingham Humane Society (GBHS) was removing cats at the home on Saturday morning. About a dozen cages, all with one or two cats, were seen in the driveway of the home. The worker, who said he was not authorized to comment, continued to bring cages out two at a time. Two cats were seen going in and out of the storm sewer in front of the house, but most are believed to be inside the home.
Bruce said the homeowner had agreed to pay GBHS for the removable of the cats.
“The homeowners are an elderly couple and they’re in a hotel,” Bruce said. “They can’t stay in the house due to the condition inside. Cats are everywhere in the house. We’ve contacted the Department of Human Resources to hopefully help them deal with the issues they’re facing.”
Bruce said those conditions included a failing ceiling due to urine soaked drywall and the number of cats in the attic.
“We’re not sure if charges will be brought,” Bruce said. “We just don’t know, yet. It’s an open investigation and that’s how we’ll determine the next steps to take.”
Bruce said all of the animals found so far are alive and appear to be healthy.
This story will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.
102 Comments
Kathy Sills
Yikes
Lynne Easter Barden
Joy McKee Brewer
Tommy Dodson
That’s a lot of meowin
Jack Dunn Lawley III
Jennifer Chinnis Lawley
Shonda René
This is so sad…
Martha Swint Sherer
Ewwww!
Paul Pinson
Annice Pinson I’m glad they said trussville and not Leeds. I was about to call you and Amanda Pinson. Ashley Pinson
Angela Howell Ferguson
Rachel Taylor
Kathy Mims Clements
I wish people would take care of their elderly parents .
Tammy McCown
This is the time to step up and adopt a cat or kitten. No way tbe GBHS can handle that many
Christina L Boggan
My old address of Pentland drive in Grayson Valley had an across the street neighbor who kept letting their cat (turned into many cats) breed and would leave the garage door partially open so they could go in and out. Another neighbor started feeding some of them. Our yard had a lot of natural area which looked like a litter box to the cats. It was horrible. Should’ve called the humane society. No way you can properly care for that many animals. Disgusting!
Carrie Anne Chapman Willingham
SO sad! Is this was the neighborhood “smell” letter was about, Brandy Dunn Shotts? Is this your neighborhood?
Vickie Aldridge
Wendy Sizemore Aaron Hannah Lowe Alicia Keene Wilson Yall this explains that smell!!
Annabelle Keane
Brandy Carpenter
Sharee Green
Barbara Green. Lauren Green
Brian Wells
Gross
Melissa Dailey Hettich
Lynne Easter Barden
Hannah Johnson
Sarah Johnson
Vickie Aldridge
If they’re hoarders, and I’m almost positive they are, that is exhausting to help. I can almost bet there is a lot more in that house than just cats.
Vickie Aldridge
It is so sad though..
Debra Hendrix-Hill
I hope they do not charge the elderly couple.
Judy Morrow Rice
Me too bless them
Sissy Denney Ray
Sure is. Breaks my heart
Heather Morgan
I doubt they are as healthy as the article says. Feline leukemia is very contagious and speads through saliva in cats.
Amanda Wynn Pederson
Kevin Macon
Michelle McCurry
No doubt this started with a wanting to help heart….
Leslie Varney
where is sherman oaks
Judy Morrow Rice
Off hwy 11 at soccer fields
Tara Bradshaw Sellers
Behind the ballpark and left side of highway 11 between downtown trussville and deerfoot.
Tanya Coy Richards
Sheila Richards
Michael Fleming
Emilee Rae Phillips is this Elizabeth Padgett future house jk
René Self Davis
So sad. I agree, it probably started with wanting to help them and then turned into an illness of sorts. Its really sad that they have no friends or family who stepped in to stop/help them a long time ago before it got to this point. I too hope that there are no charges brought against them. They have lost their home and their animals. That is punishment enough.
Elizabeth Padgett
1st of all ive never put my cats in cages lol
Elizabeth Padgett
Yall they said there were so many cats they cant even count them they think its about a 100 🙀
Roxanne Blount
Terri Wilson
Linda Carroll Lockett
Norma Carroll….
right up the street. That’s why all those SUV’S where there yesturday!
Cindy Shew Underwood
Oh my
Lauren Green
Gross!! I knew something had to be up when I passed this morning Sharee! There is a red piece of paper on the front door and it’s the only time I have ever seen animal control trucks. They were there this am getting them out I guess. That’s crazy!!
Retta Johnson
Michelle McCurry you are probably right. Just a sad situation
Morgan Coston
TJ McGettigan is this you?
Kinosha K Pettway
Tijuana Pettway
Dianne Vick
I HAVE 5 INSIDE AND OUT SIDE CAT SORRY TOTAL (5) WE PRESSURE WASH OUR YARD 4X A YEAR WITH BLEACH AND WATER MIX IT’S GOOD FOR THE CAT AND US ALSO! MAYBE A GOOD PERSON WITH A PRESSURE WASHER COULD HELP OUT THAT OLDER COUPLE !!!
Karmen Morton Mitchell
Gross and sad
Patty Gargus
If they have children, it can still be very difficult to claim authority over your parents.
Michelle Dodson Hall
MEOW.
Christy Pate
What ??
Shannon Parris Mccray
Charges? Seriously. If they are an elderly couple they need help not charges! I am sure things just got beyond their care ability and they didn’t know what to do. So sad that someone didn’t step up to help before now.
Vickie Aldridge
Absolutely.. If you’ve ever done reading on hoarding it is a horrible disorder. It’s deep rooted and has probably been around for a long time. I hope if they do have children they will be willing to help.
Joy McKee Brewer
A neighbor just told me this today! This used to be a nice house with a beautiful yard!
Gail Smith Wright
Gives an entirely new meaning to the word “ho-meow-ner”!
Joy McKee Brewer
The couple that used to live there were not elderly, they were in 60s. Maybe they moved. Why would anybody allow this to happen?
Carolyn Morrison Ford
Gross!!!!
Holly Hollis
Cortney Vick Sharpe
Ronnie Aldrich
Deborah Aldrich
Emilee Rae Phillips
Lmao that’s 100 cages 😂😂
Myra Clem
Wondering about the couples mental health and dimensia! Sad
Jennifer Vanderburg
Christopher Vanderburg
Kandel Gillison Bridges
Tina Goforth Stearns
Wendi Kelly
Ugh!
Jim Dunn
Wasn’t this in the neighborhood where the homeowners association was writing letters trying to find the odd smell in the area. Brandy Dunn Shotts
Michael Karhan
Susan
Maggie Alonzo Nichols
Celia Hambright
Marsha Motes
Please don’t call us to clean it lol
Meredith Hunter Bishop
Cindy Prince Bishop
Kaitlin Bowman
Bell Price is this where you’re hiding your other cats?
Laurie Pryor Brockman
I just have to wonder, did anyone in this neighborhood ever check on this elderly couple before ? Did anyone know their names ? If they had no children to check on them, then wouldn’t a caring neighbor look in on them from time to time ? I pray they get the help they need.
Tina Goforth Stearns
Oh goodness!
Rita Pauls
A fund and help team needs to be set up to relocate this elderly couple if they aren’t able mentally or financially to do it themselves. It sounds like they would welcome some help. Praying for them. <3
Tjo Johnson
This elderly couple needs help, not charges. I will be glad to pitch in if the community or an agency gets something going. It would be sad for them to lose their home to this. Wondering where the family is, if there is a family???
Brandy Carpenter
Girl you know that’s not my house lol
Melissa Maylon Collins
Yvonne Schnellenberger Maylon
Yvonne Schnellenberger Maylon
This is so sad. I hope it wasn’t our old house.
Suzanne Jackson Lindsey
So sad
Melissa Maylon Collins
I hope not either
Carlina Roberts Jett
This is so sad.
Linda Spencer Jones
Amber Willenbrock
Amanda Dunn Eubanks
Eric Gay are you and Jamie Gay hoarding kitties?
Lisa Tarpley
Teresa
Yvonne Schnellenberger Maylon
Which street? We used to own a house there.
Jamie Gay
Bahahaha I wish
Fredreica Atkins Speyer
Heartbreaking. I feel so sorry for the elderly couple. I wonder if they had kids.
Emily Shelley Dunn
Jessica Minor Linda Carr Shelley Jeffery Shelley
Vickie Aldridge
103 post oak? Almost positive that’s the house.
Hannah Lowe
Does not surprise me one bit.
Yvonne Schnellenberger Maylon
Ok thank you. Different street. The house we had was on a cul-de-sac. Chestnut Oak Lane
Lacey Merritt Smith
Jeannine is this you? Lol
Jeannine Whitley
😲😲😲😲
Jeannine Whitley
Jeannine Whitley
noooo
Jill Williams
They are not criminals…they need help
Tim Hollis
Love how it’s a low drive way shot. If this was in a ghetto it would have been full blown with the address in the corner. Trussville always forgets where it came from. I knew trussville when chalkville road was chalkville MOUNTAIN. I remember trussville before it had a McDonald’s or Wal-Mart or anything on that road. Back when the liquor store,gun store,and trailer park where all a block from each other. Trussville will always be nothing but rednecks and ghetto trash blending to think they are better than everyone else. But for those of us who remember you’ll never be anything but annoying trash ppl.
LeeAnn Perkins Ratcliff
This couple lives two doors up from us and they are not elderly!!
Danielle Fuller
Brandy Carpenter lol. Ummm at least you dont have 100 cats…yet.
Vickie Aldridge
You can’t see the front of the house because there are a million trees blocking the front. Also it’s probably because they wanted to show the cats in the cages. Just throwing that out there. Also the people aren’t redneck trash.. maybe instead of being bitter and a little insulting we could be nicer about people whom we don’t actually know. I don’t know you sir, so I’m going to hope you’re nicer in person rather than on the internet.
Brandy Carpenter
Sadly this is my second time being tagged on this one….I only have 4 lol Annabelle Keane
Brandy Carpenter
And my mom even mentioned it so that would be 3….3 times
Celia Hambright
Poor cats. 😦
Tim Hollis
I’m really not. Especially to strangers. I hate ppl in general. There’s only a select few I care about. Mostly Just my family. Id be happier if about 85% of the world’s population died
Della Ingram Lynam
Sounds like somebody is just looking for attention with their comments…..oh well, move along.
Erin Mathews
Our cat went missing close to the soccer fields last year. Now I’m wondering if they had it!
Wes Rogers
Jessica Rogers this will be you
Jessica Rogers
Probably 🙄