Island Lake, Illinois, police recently visited a property to address a U-Haul parked there. While sitting cars are mostly just eyesores for neighbors, authorities confirmed a much bigger issue with the moving van.

According to the complaint, the local couple, both 32 years old, used the U-Haul to house their pets… 46 of them. As you might imagine, the filing asserted that the cats weren’t being properly cared for.

Lake Island police arrived at the property and confirmed the animals were indeed housed in the moving van. The cats – dozens of them – didn’t have access to veterinary care, either. Three were expecting kittens.

Authorities removed dozens of cats from the U-Haul and charged the Illinois residents

McHenry County Animal Control said it needed $15,300 just to support the 46 cats. Authorities estimate the animals were kept in the U-Haul for at least two months.

In February, one of the residents pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty. She started serving a 40-day jail sentence immediately, Shaw Local News Network shared.

The other resident pleaded guilty to the same charge and only just began his sentence in McHenry County.

Because the couple accepted the animal cruelty charge, the county dropped others. A judge ordered both to seek mental health assessments.

U-Haul uses Ford Transit T-150, T-250, and T-350 models, as well as the E-Transit and Transit HD

We’re not sure if the Illinois couple had rented their Ford Transit U-Haul or owned it. Yep, you can actually buy decommissioned U-Haul vehicles directly from the company.

I looked at listings in my area and found a 2023 Ford Transit with 23,000 miles for about $32,000. New, the 2023 retailed from $48k and capped above $100k.

Now, the Ford Transit’s cargo length is just over 10 feet. That’s not nearly enough space to keep any single cat, in my opinion. It’s a good thing they’re getting the care they need and hopefully finding permanent indoor homes.