Ban for owner who left cats home alone without food and water

A woman from Yorkshire has been banned from keeping animals for five years after she was prosecuted by the RSPCA for neglecting her cats.

Viktorija Elksnite (D.o.B 9/3/2001), of Morley Street, Goole, pleaded guilty to two charges under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, one of causing unnecessary suffering to one cat called Bellis by failing to provide a suitable diet and the other of failing to ensure the needs of another cat, called Minnie, were met.

Elksnite appeared for sentencing at Hull Magistrates’ Court on December 12 where she was also fined £120 and told to pay £400 court costs and a victim surcharge of £48.

The court was told that Elksnite left the felines unattended over a number of days without food and water. Bellis was found very underweight and dehydrated, while Minnie was also underweight when the RSPCA gained entry to her property in December last year (2022).

Previously, RSPCA animal rescue officer Olivia Farrar warned Elksnite about leaving her cats during an arranged visit to her home on November 8. But when the officer returned on November 28, the defendant was out and Bellis was clawing at the window in a distressed state. The animal rescue officer made several more visits to the property, but on all the occasions Elksnite had left the cats unattended.

Another RSPCA inspector managed to feed one of the cats through the letterbox when she called at the property on December 4.

RSPCA inspector Tom Hutton, who had made two previous visits to check on the welfare of the cats, returned with the police and a council officer to gain access on December 14.

He found Bellis in a faeces-strewn living room in which there were two empty bowls, while Minnie was in the kitchen where again there was no sign of food or water, but a litter tray full of faeces.

The inspector said in a statement presented to the court: “Bellis was bright, active and alert but in a poor body condition in a living room in which there were two bowls but neither had any food or water in them. In the kitchen was the small female cat, Minnie, who was also in poor body condition.”

The inspector took both cats to a local veterinary practice for treatment.

A vet, who examined both cats, said in his expert report that Bellis was emaciated with a body condition score of two out of nine and was also very dehydrated. While Minnie scored four out of nine on the body condition chart.

In mitigation, the court was told that Elksnite was remorseful and was living a “chaotic lifestyle” at the time of the offences, but had now left an abusive relationship. She was staying at addresses in Goole and Bridlington, where she was working, and thought she had made “appropriate arrangements” for the care of her cats when she was away.

Both Bellis and Minnie were signed over into the care of the RSPCA and have recovered from their ordeal. The animal charity will now look to rehome both of them.