Some neighbors were relieved when the ASPCA arrived in their Carnarsie neighborhood at the home of David and Laraine Spivak. The couple had taken in between 23-31 cats, and the smell of cat feces had become so unbearable that
neighbors called 311 to complain.
Apparently the Spivaks slept in their cars while the cats lived in their E. 99th Street home. A neighbor told WCBS 2, "Every morning we see them. They take a bottle of water and open the car door and wash themselves. It's ridiculous." David Spivak, though, denied he was sleeping in his car and he yelled at WABC 7, "You know what's going to happen to the cats. The ones that are small and cute are going to be adopted, and the older ones are going to get the needle. You know that."
The Spivaks had initially taken in a few cats from a friend who had Alzheimer's, but then the situation spiraled out of control. Many of the cats were found with fleas and Animal Care and Control said that some might need to be put down. Still, ASPCA Special Agent Joseph Pentangelo said, "None of the cats were victims of neglect or cruelty. They just had a lot of cats."
The ASPCA removed most of the cats, but the Spivaks kept six. Last month, at least a hundred cats, dead and alive, were found in a multi-million dollar Saddle River, NJ home. The owners had claimed bankruptcy and were living in a motel when a DHL worker noticed a smell coming from the house. The cats, as well as dogs, had taken to eating things like sheet rock and were wallowing in inches of feces. Workers are still finding cats today.
