A DUNFERMLINE woman has been banned from keeping animals after her cat was found living in squalid conditions.

Natalie Page, 45, of Pentland Terrace, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

She admitted that between July 19 and October 25, being a person responsible for a cat, she failed to ensure the needs of the animal were met by failing to provide a suitable environment for it whereby it was exposed to faeces, household debris and unhygienic conditions.

Depute fiscal Alistair McDermid said a SSPCA inspector had gone to Page’s home on June 1 last year and warned her about the living conditions for her animals.

On July 19, there was a return visit and two dogs were removed from the house.

Then, on October 25, two police officers went to the house on an unrelated matter.

They were trying to trace the owner and went inside when they found the front door unlocked.

“There was a thoroughly unpleasant smell and there was rubbish piled high on the floor of every room. The officers believed it was not suitable for habitation by a human and that the conditions posed a health risk,” said the depute.

“An adult cat was in the living room and was eating mouldy food that had been discarded on the floor. The pieces of mouldy food had been there so long they had flies coming out of them.

“There were cat and dog faeces on the floor. The dog faeces appear to have been there for three months.

“Wires were exposed where rubble had come away from crumbling walls.”

The cat was taken away to a local vet where it was found to be in “reasonable health” but required urgent dental work.

When Page was cautioned and charged by police she said: “I’ll get it sorted.”

Defence solicitor Peter Robertson said his client was currently living with her mother while her property was having renovations carried out by the council “to make it habitable”.

Sheriff Charles MacNair told Page: “The photographs taken at the time show the deplorable state of your property. If you want to live like that, I can’t do anything about it but animals can’t speak up for themselves and need protection.”

He fined Page £360 and also imposed a banning order for 21 months preventing her from owning, keeping or taking charge of animals.