Woman who lived with more than 100 cats in Paris flat accused of cruelty

Some cats have been found crushed by bookshelves

The woman said she emptied 20 litter trays three times a day (Getty)

A young woman who was found to share her apartment with more than 100 cats is on trial for animal abuse and in line for a heavy fine in France.

After an eviction notice was served at her apartment in Paris, officials found 113 felines in the same space the woman lived in with her partner, according to Ouest France.

Volunteers who cleared up the rooom even found several cats crushed under bookshelves, while about half of them reportedly died after they were captured by a French animal rescue charity.

The president of the Vosges Animal Protection (SVPA) said the apartment was "in a deplorable state."

But the cat owner has defended herself by saying that she spent €750 a month on her pets' maintenance - and would change 20 trays of litter at least three times a day.

She also argued that the state of the apartment had been much better before she was threatened with eviction, after which she had to leave the house for at least five days.

The 50 or so animals which died on capture did so because none were vaccinated and became ill when they came into contact with other cats - leading to further claims of neglect and abuse against them.

It took five days for volunteer charity workers to catch all the animals, none of which were microchipped or tagged.

The prosecution asked for 109 fines against the woman at €30 each, which the court will decide upon on 17 March.