PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. -- The smell of cats is so strong outside Jim Zimmer's apartment, neighbors called Pinellas County authorities, who found 25 cats inside, one of them dead.
Standing outside his 2305 1st St. apartment Wednesday afternoon, Zimmer said he doesn't understand what all the fuss is all about.
Zimmer said the smell never bothered him.
"There was a report that my place stunk. And they opened it up and found feces everywhere," said Zimmer, 63. "I happen to have a really good palate for wine, and I've always heard that taste was influenced by smell, and I can't smell it worth a lick," he said.
Authorities seized the animals, and the city of Indian Rocks Beach declared Zimmer's apartment uninhabitable for humans or animals. A large orange sign is on the door warning of the contamination, including cat feces. Zimmer has been ordered not to live there.
The 25 cats taken from the apartment last night are mostly doing well, according to the SPCA of Tampa Bay and Pinellas County Animal Services.
The two agencies are now caring for the cats. Amy Gray, spokesperson for the SPCA, said the cats, for the most part, are in good health. They were being fed. Several are being treated for respiratory infections.
"They seem healthy. Now, granted, they aren't socialized. That's going to be the biggest obstacle for them, but it's actually a pretty easy obstacle," said Gray.
Gray said many of the cats are not used to being around people, and will be placed in foster care for socialization, but after that, the animals will be put up for adoption.
The cats include a female with week old kittens and another litter of month old kittens.
One dead kitten was also removed from the apartment.
"It's a kitten about like this," he said, indicating several inches with his fingers. "Two or three days old is all he lived."
Zimmer said he never had a problem letting his cats breed. Most of his cats are the descendants of one of his oldest cats, Truffles.
"Ultimately I got one, then another, then Truffles was born, and all of my cats are related to her," said Zimmer.
Zimmer said he used find others willing to adopt the kittens, but then he just started keeping them.
"In the past, I've always given them away. Truffles has had 55 kittens, and I didn't have anywhere near that, so someone was taking her kids," he said.
Zimmer has not been charged in the case. He said he would like to get his animals back, once he finds a new place to live.
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