Virginia Cat Lady Pleads Guilty

Ruth Knueven once had close to 500 cats. On Wednesday, she promised a judge she would never own another one. Knueven, 83, was arrested in July after hundreds of cats were found in her home. She pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty in Fairfax County General District Court. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed several other counts, and Knueven must continue getting treatment for her hoarding problem.

Judge Donald McDonough fined her $2,500 US, suspending all but $500. He also gave her a 360-day suspended jail sentence and put her on probation for one year. Knueven was barred from owning any animals. Before sentencing, lawyer Jonathan Frieden said Knueven's stray cat problem developed some time ago when she started taking them in to protect them from the dangers of the streets. 493 cats had bee nfound in her home, 272 of which were still alive.