Man had 166 live cats and 55 dead ones in his home

GAHANNA, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio man who had 166 cats and 55 dead ones at his home has been charged with animal cruelty.

The Columbus Dispatch reports 60-year-old Daniel Slyby, of Gahanna, must post a $64,000 bond by Dec. 30 or his cats will be permanently forfeited to a Columbus animal welfare organization.

Slyby was charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty Wednesday in Franklin County Municipal Court.

Columbus Humane, which conducts animal cruelty investigations, says the cats were found living in deplorable conditions when they were removed from Slyby’s home last week.

All but one of the cats is receiving care at Columbus Humane’s shelter. One cat had to be euthanized.

Slyby’s attorney, Tony Clymer, said Thursday that Slyby denies having mistreated his cats.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com