80-year-old Ariz. woman found living with 104 cats

[July 09, 2010]  WITTMAN, Ariz. (AP) -- An 80-year-old Arizona woman has been found living with 104 mostly dead or dying cats.

Maricopa County sheriff's officials say the bodies of 10 cats were found in the freezer and other cats were found diseased or dying inside Lucienne Touboul's home in Wittman, about 30 miles northwest of Phoenix.

Sheriff's spokesman Jeff Sprong says Touboul was taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation because the cats had a disease that can be passed to humans.

He says Touboul also will undergo a mental evaluation and could face charges for felony animal cruelty and threatening to kill deputies if they touched the cats.

Sprong says Touboul had been banned from owning pets after 70 cats were found in her home three years ago. Those cats were either euthanized or sent to rescue homes.

[Associated Press]

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