Man with 9 dead cats found in his freezer in court on animal cruelty charges

FIRST REPORT: Local man accused of killing cats and putting them in freezer

A Middletown humane officer visited Cunningham’s home Thursday morning on a complaint that he had been harming cats and kittens. During a conversation with the officer, Cunningham gave consent to search his residence and police found nine cats in Cunningham’s freezer.

Cunningham admitted he killed eight of the cats and was arrested and booked into the Middletown City Jail, according to police.

“He killed them in different ways,” Reeve told the Journal-News this morning. “He took in a stray. He was cleaning it up and it attacked him, so he said he punched and stabbed it in self defense.”

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Another cat did not wake Cunningham up “gently” so he threw it against the wall, Reeve said.

Visiting Middletown Municipal Court Judge Thomas Hanna set Cunningham’s bond and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Sept. 9.

Cunningham asked the judge, “If I lose my job because I am here, would that change any circumstances?”

The judge answered, “No, sir.”

Anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Brandon Highley at 513-425-7724.