Cat forced to eat other cats to survive after being abandoned by owner

Sole survivor of 14 pets now living with a new family after its rescue from squalid home

A pet cat was forced to eat other cats in order to survive after it was abandoned by its owner in Australia.

Bodycam footage showed RSPCA inspectors raiding the woman's home in Adelaide to find just one of her 14 cats still living. It was emaciated and crying out for help, having apparently eaten the bodies of the other animals to stay alive.

Inspectors in South Australia said the conditions were among the worst they had ever seen and described it as "a heartbreaking case that will remain with RSPCA staff for a long time".

Cat faeces litter the floor of a home in Adelaide, Australia (RSPCA South Australia)

The region's chief inspector, Andrea Lewis, said: "When RSPCA inspectors arrived at the property, the one surviving cat, completely emaciated, was crying out for us to hurry up and open the door.

"I think if he hadn't survived it would have been one of the worst days for our people.

"The remains of the other 13 cats were spread throughout the house. It was a devastating sight."

The surviving cat likely only made it by eating the remains of the others, she said. It was named Trooper after the raid in September 2015 and rehabilitated by the RSPCA, and has now been adopted.

Its former owner, 43, who has not been named, failed to attend numerous court dates. She was sentenced on Tuesday at Port Adelaide Magistrates Court, where she was banned from owning animals. Magistrates took into account her mental health problems, the RSPCA said.

The surviving cat, Trooper, was emaciated (RSPCA South Australia)

Graphic footage shows shocked inspectors wading through detritus, including faeces, empty bowls and even furniture, as Trooper can be heard wailing in the background.

One asks: "Is that a dead cat that's been eaten by the other cats?" Her colleague replies: "Yeah, there's a couple."

Ms Lewis added: "If you can no longer care for your pets, ask friends, families or neighbours. Call your local council, or take them to an animal shelter.

"You simply cannot abandon animals, you have a legal responsibility for their wellbeing. It should never come to this."