Landlord faces police action after rescuing cat he found surviving on toilet water in faeces-covered flat

MICHAEL Moody rescued his tenant’s starving cat from shocking conditions — now he’s being threatened with legal action.

A UK landlord has been threatened with police action for confiscating his tenant’s cat after finding him starving in a disgusting faeces-covered flat.

Michael Moody, 40, seized the one-year-old black-and-white cat from appalling conditions after neighbours reported hearing its cries for help “day and night”.

The animal-lover described the cat as “very friendly” but said “clearly the owner is not capable of looking after it”.

He was “horrified” when he found his flat in Skegness, Lincolnshire, covered in faeces and rubbish from bin bags the desperate cat had torn open for food.

Mr Moody believes the starving cat, which he has renamed Bob, only survived on toilet water. The landlord called the unnamed tenant and refused to hand Bob back despite threats that he would be reported to police for theft.

Concerned neighbours reported hearing the cat’s cries. Picture: SWNS/Mega

The cat, renamed Bob, has been rescued. Picture: SWNS/Mega

“I think he [the tenant] just wanted some company, but he needs to learn to look after himself before he starts looking after a pet,” Mr Moody said.

“I have never heard something as bad as this — he is just an innocent cat. We’ve taken control. The owner is not getting the cat back. He did get hostile and threatened to call the police, but what would they do?

“After concern from other residents in my property about the cat crying through the day and night I’ve decided to intervene only to discover the cat had been left for a considerable length of time on its own, whilst seeming to [live] off what it could find with no clean water.”

The cat, which he described as friendly and house-trained, is now safe with Mr Moody and his fiancee. Mr Moody said he was undeterred by the threats.

“I believe I’m doing the right thing whether it’s legal or not,” he said. “I’m hoping to find a loving home for a little black male cat.”

Mr Moody and his partner, who already have two German shepherds and three cats at their family home, are now appealing on Facebook to rehome Bob. “Bob is a lovely cat and we can’t let him down, so we want to make sure he goes to the right home,” he said.

On Sunday, Mr Moody posted an update on Facebook. “We have some good news, three people who seem very nice would like to come and see Bob the cat tomorrow,” he wrote. “I think this story will end well.”

This article originally appeared on The Sunand was reproduced with permission.