Authorities in Sapporo in Hokkaido found 238 cats living in one house in late March, with the residents apparently unable to care for the animals due to their increasing numbers, local officials and other sources said Wednesday.
The Environment Ministry said it was very rare for more than 200 cats to be retrieved from one location. The issue came to light after the owner of the house made a visit over unpaid rent.
According to city officials, a married couple in their 50s and their son in his 30s lived in the two-story house in Kita Ward, Sapporo.