Vicki Harris lives across the street from a place that she says is overrun with cats and attracting flies, and hasn't been lived in for a couple of years.
According to the Hamilton County Public Health office, the SPCA has tracked down the owner of the Stadia Drive home and obtained access to the house, which has been mostly vacant for a year or more.
"We had to hunt him down," said Mike Retzlaff, director of operations for the SPCA. "He wasn't responding to our notices."
However by Thursday, the SPCA said the owner was cooperating with their efforts.
According to the Hamilton County Public Health office, conditions inside are "hideous."
A spokesman said the place reeked of cat urine and there were several inches of feces along the flooring.
"It probably needs to be gutted," said Mike Samet of the public health department. "Obviously, the situation has been going on for some time."
The SPCA pulled five cats from the house, and the owner returned to the home and captured seven more on Thursday, which he turned over to officials.
All appeared to be healthy, but living in conditions that are clearly unhealthy and of concern to those who live nearby.
Vicki Harris, who lives across the street, said "nobody ... should ever have to live by something like this."
Another neighbor complained that cats were constantly jumping the fence and that insects were also a problem.
Neighbors were concerned about the welfare of the cats, but also about the general conditions of the property.
Others spoke of the stench that would emanate from the house at times.
Police and animal welfare officers went to the property Wednesday and removed some of the cats and remanded the property to the township.
Over the next few days, the owner is supposed to round up the other cats and turn them over to the authorities.
"He was feeding them and giving them water," Retzlaff said.
Photos taken inside the house show the cats had the run of the place, which went without cleaning for some time.
Depending on what investigators determine in the days ahead, animal neglect and cruelty charges are pending. The owner received a misdemeanor animal cruelty citation.
