Man calls 911 because neighbor wasn’t cleaning her cat’s litter box: ‘This house stank’

ATLANTA (TMX/Gray News) – The Atlanta Police Department is reminding the public that 911 is only for emergencies after dispatchers got a call about a cat box smelling up a shared boarding house.

On Tuesday, the police department shared an audio recording of the call on Facebook.

In the recording, a man can be heard explaining how his neighbor is not properly cleaning her cat’s litter box, leaving a stench throughout the house.

The man said his neighbor allegedly tried to cover up the smell with incense, but that also wasn’t working.

“I’m calling because the cat got the house smelling bad, ma’am,” the man tells 911. “She trying to burn incense in here and it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse, the smell. And it makes me sick to the stomach. I pay rent, I live here, ma’am.”

“You’re saying a cat in the house is making...” the dispatcher begins asking before the man cuts her off.

“Yeah it’s a cat that she got living — this is a rooming house, ma’am, this is not her house,” the man says.

The man goes on to explain that unlike the woman’s previous cat, which was allowed to go outside, the current cat is not allowed outside. The previous cat died, and the man said he buried it for her, but she had a new cat the very next day.

“She is not changing that cat pan and stuff in here like she should, and this house stank, ma’am,” the man says.

The 911 operator advises the man that police are on their way and that he can take the issue up with them.

“While we appreciate the trust you place in our services, we kindly remind everyone that 911 is reserved for emergencies of a serious nature,” police wrote alongside the recording on Facebook.

“Let’s maintain our sense of humor while keeping our priorities straight. Non-urgent matters are best resolved through friendly discussions, not emergency lines,” police said.

Copyright 2024 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. TMX contributed to this report.