These images show how 20 cats were left trapped in a house and they turned cannibal to survive.

The incident took place in the German city of Munich in the southern state of Bavaria when animal rights activists from the Tierschutzverein Muenchen (Munich Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) rescued about 20 cats from a filthy apartment.

The organisation said in a statement: “The anonymous report originally received by the Veterinary Office had sounded harmless. Someone was feeding more and more stray cats, some of them looking increasingly sickly. Meanwhile, there were probably 15 to 20 animals. But the massive case of animal cruelty that was hidden behind it only became apparent on site.”

The door had reportedly been blocked with a stick, stopping the cats from getting out. The animal rights organisation also said that a strong smell of ammonia, faeces and putrefaction was coming from the house.

The animal rights organisation said: “An old house in need of renovation in the Munich area in the middle of a settlement. The door had also been blocked with a stick. When our inspectors tried to open the door carefully, paws looking for help came towards them through the small gap. Numerous cats tried desperately to escape through the door. A massive stench of ammonia, faeces and putrefaction hit the animal rights activists.”

The organisation said that immediately as the activists entered the flat, there were two cat corpses.

It said: “Directly in the entrance area was a tray with numerous unfilled bowls, empty and closed food cans and two cat cadavers, eaten to the bone and chopped up. The floor of all the rooms in the rudimentary house was littered with excrement, and the stench was almost unbearable. The animals that did not try to escape outside hid in the back rooms.”

It added: “The cats reacted in a disturbed and panicked way. Although the experienced animal welfare inspectors were very careful to catch the cats, the poor animals could hardly be reassured. Again and again, the rescuers had to take turns and leave the house because the stench could not be endured for long despite the protective masks. It’s hard to imagine how the cats must have been, having probably been locked up there for months. The perpetrator had long since moved into another building.

“In addition, working on the slippery droppings and the floor soaked in urine was not without danger. Again and again, the animal rights activists almost fell or got their overshoes stuck to the ground. The cats, actually very clean animals, even tried to relieve themselves in the same places. Even in their desperate situation, they tried to stay house-trained, reported the inspectors.

“The rescuers were able to free 20 cats from the apartment and the immediate vicinity. It is uncertain where they come from. The homeowner’s claim that they were fed from the area is hardly credible. Reports as well as numerous clean transport boxes raise the suspicion that some of them are cats delivered from Internet platforms, as well as lost-and-found animals.

“The 20 cats are now housed in the Munich animal shelter. There they are given veterinary care and are lovingly nurtured. On the day after they were freed, many of the cats had calmed down and were very open and cuddly towards the carers. Obviously, the animals are grateful to have escaped the horror house and to finally experience a regularly filled food bowl, a clean, warm place to sleep and loving attention.

“Now, everything will turn out for the better for the kitties, because all 20 have been put up for placement in a new, species-appropriate and caring home. If you have one to offer and would like to adopt one or two of the house cats, you are welcome to contact our cat quarantine directly on tel.: 089/921 000 820.

“In order to be able to bear the high costs for the cats’ care and veterinary treatment (many of them have diarrhoea, parasite infestations, skin and ear infections and/or runny noses), the animal welfare association asks for donations. All donation options and further information about the work of the association can be found here: https://tierschutzverein-muenchen.de/spenden/geldspende/spendenmoegitäten.”

Kristina Berchtold, press officer at Tierschutzverein Muenchen, said: “Firstly, the cats will not be placed abroad and, secondly, they will not be given to new families until the New Year. Until then, they must first be nursed back to health, while the possible former owners are identified.

“Those interested in adoption, which starts from January 2022, should only be from our immediate surroundings (Bavaria).”