WFAA-TV

Animal control officers wore protective suits while collecting the feral cats.

GRAPEVINE — Animal control officials asked for help from the Dallas SPCA Tuesday in dealing with an estimated 90 cats seized from a house.

The hot, slow and smelly work was under way Tuesday morning at the un-air-conditioned home in the 1300 block of Airline Drive.

Grapevine police Sgt. Bob Murphy said conditions inside were deplorable.

"There's cat feces everywhere, and some doors can't even be opened because of it," he said.

The city's chief animal control officer said he's never seen anything like it.

Even away from the house on the street, the odor was described as sickening.

The operation began Monday night after animal control officers received a tip. The owner of the house let investigators inside to take a look around.

They returned Tuesday morning with a warrant to remove the animals.

Those participating in the evacuation were forced to wear protective suits to shield them from health dangers.

"I'm lifting up a box spring in a bedroom, and there were about 20 to 25 cats up inside the box spring," Sgt. Murphy said.

Police said a married couple in their 60s lived in the house and provided food for the cats.

About three dozen of the feral felines had been seized by midday Tuesday. Grapevine authorities ran out of cages and asked the Dallas SPCA for assistance.

Animal control officials said some of the cats were in such poor health that they had to be euthanized.

E-mail jdouglas@wfaa.com