I am writing to express my great sorrow at the fate of the Elmvale Farm cats. Last September, 83 cats were seized from appalling conditions: the cats themselves were in need of urgent medical treatment. Sixty-five of the cats needed antibiotics, 52 had upper respiratory infections, 48 had dental disease that required pulling teeth, 25 had ear mites and 14 had ear infections. Sixty-five of the cats had not been neutered, opening the door to exponential growth of the cat colony.

The court has now determined that the conditions in which the cats were living offered an adequate standard of cat care. Food and water alone don’t guarantee good health. For over a year, caretakers at the Jordan Livestock Rescue have nursed these cats back to good health and given them the love and attention they have been missing.

I fear that the court decision treats these cats as property, with “ownership rights” being more important than the cats’ welfare. Surely, at the very least, there should be a property inspection to establish whether any improvements have been made during the period that these poor cats have been given a glimpse of a better way of life.

Robin Millward, Ogunquit