Ayrshire woman has been sentenced following a Scottish SPCA investigation into the neglect and abandonment of cats.
Kayleigh McDonald, from Ayr, came before the Ayr Sheriff Court on Tuesday 7th October 2025 after pleading guilty and was sentenced to a community payback order and 12 months supervision for:
- Causing a cat unnecessary suffering by failing to provide adequate nutrition and failing to seek veterinary advice or treatment for severe emaciation and muscle loss.
- Abandoning two cats in circumstances which were likely to cause unnecessary suffering by failing to provide adequate, accessible hydration and nutrition.
The Scottish SPCA attended McDonald’s residence following a call to the Helpline reporting concern for abandoned cats at the property after being left unattended for several days.
After several attempts to access the welfare of the cats and communicate with McDonald, a search warrant was granted to enter the property.
Scottish SPCA Inspector said: “Upon entering the property, the lifeless body of a grey/black and white domestic shorthair cat was lay on the floor amongst rubbish, faeces and letters. The deceased cat was in poor body condition, severely emaciated and all its’s bones could easily be felt.”
No access to food or fresh water
“When searching the property for the remaining cats, the environment was very unsanitary. Cat faeces could be seen in the covering areas in the home alongside general household waste, clothes and children’s toys. There was no access to food or fresh water in the residence, the only water available was in the toilet bowl.”
“An old, rock hard and stale baguette was found partially eaten and bags of rubbish including used nappies had been torn open in a clear attempt to find food. The litter tray in the hallway was saturated and full of faeces.”
One cat was found alive in the residence and was immediately transported to a Scottish SPCA Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre for urgent treatment due to its poor health and the deceased cat was taken for a postmortem examination.
Significant absence of food over a long period of time
The postmortem examination concluded that the deceased cat was in a severely emaciated state but showed no signs of diseases process to explain it. The severity of the emaciation indicates a significant absence of food over a long period of time.
The surviving cat recovered well in the care of the Scottish SPCA Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre and went on to find it’s forever home.
The Scottish SPCA urges anyone who is struggling to care for their animals to contact our Helpline on 03000 999 999. Abandonment is never the answer and we have an array of ways in which we can help support you and your pet.
To report any act of cruelty, visit the our website here.
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