A Howard County Circuit Court judge today warned an 81-year-old Columbia woman, convicted two months ago of animal cruelty in a case involving scores of cats, that he would throw her in jail if she refused again to allow Howard County Animal Control officials to inspect her house.

“If you disobey that order you might as well show up in jail because I am keenly upset about this,” Judge Thomas Nissel told Ayten Icgoren at a court hearing.

Icgoren was convicted of 21 counts of animal cruelty on Sept. 24. The case dated back to August 2006, when animal control officials found more than 100 cats in Icgoren’s house, many of them dead. About 50 cats seized in the house had to be euthanized because they were in such poor condition.

Following her conviction, Nissel placed Icgoren on supervised probation until her sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2009, and ordered a monthly inspection of her home.

At today’s hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Devora Pontell said Icgoren had twice refused to open her house to animal control officers, as required.

Nissel sentenced Icgoren to one week in jail, which he suspended.

He also ordered the woman to go to her house immediately, with sheriff’s deputies and an animal control officer, so they could inspect the house. When Icgoren objected, saying she had a doctor’s appointment, Nissel insisted.

“You are leaving this courthouse and you are going. I’m going to order a sheriff to take you there,” Nissel told Icgoren.

After the visit, Officer Jason Foster of Howard County Animal Control told Nissel he had found one cat in the house, and the cat appeared to be blind. He also said he detected a strong smell of cat urine.

Nissel ordered Icgoren to take the cat to be treated by a veterinarian and issued his stern warning about sending Icgoren to jail.

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