Investors who bought a property at auction went to take possession of the house and found the previous owner and nearly 80 cats inside.

Investors who bought a property at auction went to take possession of the house and found the previous owner and nearly 80 cats inside.

They’d purchased the Gilbert, Arizona home on July 17th. Only days before Jean Whitaker, the 59-year-old woman still living in it, had been cited for failure to keep the house well maintained.

Upon discovering she and the cats hadn’t yet vacated, the new deed holders flagged down an officer.

The home was inspected and before long, animal rescue personnel arrived to help handle the situation.

Workers from both the Maricopa County Animal Care and Control and the Arizona Humane Society focused on collecting the cats.

In total, 79 of them were removed from the property.

At least 30 were found in the garage.

The conditions of the home were said to be deplorable, and the cats clearly hadn’t been adequately cared for.

Those deemed healthy will be found new places to live.

Whitaker wasn’t arrested immediately, but could face animal-abuse charges.