An Australian woman was convicted of animal cruelty for locking 14 cats inside her house for so long that they resorted to eating each other.

The Port Adelaide Magistrates Court convicted the woman. She is banned from owning animals indefinitely and was placed on a 12-month good behavior bond.

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), in a distressing case of abandonment, a 43-year-old woman left behind her 14 cats when she left her Woodville West property in Australia.

The SBS reported, when inspectors arrived at the house, 13 of the cats were dead and the only surviving animal was severely emaciated.

The chief inspector Andrea Lewis said that, "The remains of the other 13 cats were spread throughout the house. It was a devastating sight."

The Port Adelaide Magistrates Court convicted the woman. She is banned from owning animals indefinitely and was placed on a 12-month good behavior bond.

"You simply cannot abandon animals. You have a responsibility for their wellbeing," Lewis said.

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Nandini