In a disturbing case near Stockholm, 36 Siberian cats were found abandoned, with three dead and others in poor health. Linked to a single breeder, these cats, valued at over half a million kronor, highlight severe neglect and rule violations. Despite multiple complaints, authorities struggled to take action, raising concerns about animal welfare enforcement.
36 Cats Abandoned in Winter: Shocking Breeder Negligence Uncovered
36 Cats Abandoned in Winter: Shocking Breeder Negligence Uncovered
Three-month-old kittens are being used for breeding. 36 cats have been abandoned outside Stockholm, with three found dead. TV4's 'Kalla fakta' reveals over a hundred cases where pedigree cat breeders have not followed regulations.
36 Siberian pedigree cats were found, one by one, abandoned in the area around Märsta outside Stockholm. The cats were shy and emaciated. Several had litters.
Three were dead. One was bleeding from the abdomen. When taken to a veterinarian, dead fetuses were found in its stomach.
"The person who abandoned the cats knew exactly what fate awaited them," says Alice Tolvers, a member of a group that voluntarily captures cats, to TV4's 'Kalla fakta'.
Several of the cats have been used for breeding, and 'Kalla fakta' has linked half of them to a single breeder in Märsta.
Worth Half a Million
A Siberian kitten can cost up to 15,000 kronor each. The total value of the abandoned cats is over half a million kronor.
'Kalla fakta' has been in contact with several people who bought kittens from the breeder in Märsta. One needed to be euthanized prematurely, another kitten started bleeding from the abdomen, and it was later found to be pregnant. The kitten then needed to be euthanized.
A total of eleven reports have been made against the breeder, and after the first alert, the abandoned cats began appearing around Märsta. The County Administrative Board made several attempts to visit the home without success.
The breeder later sent in their own pictures from the apartment and of the cats, and the case was then closed. The submitted pictures are considered a check, says Joakim Johansson, head of the animal protection unit in Stockholm.
"We do not conduct physical checks on most of our cases after strict prioritizations," he tells TV4.
"It's Unthinkable That I Would Abandon Kittens"
The breeder is said to have sold kittens for at least 650,000 kronor and has previously been convicted of accounting fraud.
"It's unthinkable that I would abandon any cats," the breeder responds to TV4.
The cat federation Sverak keeps records and pedigrees of cats from breeders. Sverak has received alerts about the breeder in Märsta, who is no longer affiliated with the federation.
TV4 has generally found 214 discrepancies in Sverak's database between 2019 and 2024. In 66 cases, it violates Sverak's own rules about breeding too often.
Eight breeders have been suspended. In 146 cases, the cats themselves were kittens when they gave birth—the youngest being as young as three months.
"We need to work more closely on the issue," says Jens Lindgren, chairman of Sverak, in an email to TV4.