Around 300 cats were found in a residential apartment in Pune’s Marvel Bounty Society, prompting intervention by the Municipal Corporation following complaints from neighbours, officials said on Monday.

According to the police, one flat owner has been feeding the stray cats. Once they become healthy, the cats are released. However, the neighbours are troubled by the unhygienic conditions in society caused by the cats.

Speaking on the matter, Inspector Nilesh Jagdale said, “The owner of an apartment in Marvel Bounty Society would often bring stray cats home and release them when the cats became healthy… Due to this, many cats had accumulated in the apartment, creating unhygienic conditions, which disturbed the neighbours.”

“The owner of a flat on the 9th floor has kept several cats in that flat, resulting in foul smells in the society. After the complaint, a team visited the flat and served notice to shift the cats,” he added.

He stated that a notice was issued to the flat owner to release the cats within two days.

“The neighbours called the Municipal Corporation, and its officials reached the apartment, surveyed the flats, and notified the owner that all the cats would be released within 2 days… No case has been registered yet, and we will consult our senior officials and corporation officials to take legal action. The cats will go into the possession of the Municipal Corporation and will be rescued…,’ he said.

The notice comes in response to concerns the society’s residents raised regarding foul smells emanating from the ninth-floor apartment.

The issue has sparked discussions among residents and authorities about the need for proper animal care facilities and pet owners’ responsibilities in maintaining hygiene and cleanliness in shared living spaces.

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