Illegal Kitten Breeder Jailed for Cruelty in Coventry
Monika Listos from Holbrooks, Coventry, has been slammed with a 20-week jail sentence and slapped with a lifetime ban on keeping any animals. This follows the discovery of multiple litters of sick, very young kittens dumped in a near-empty property.
Shady Dealings and Sick Kittens
Listos, tied to notorious illegal breeder Lizzie Scarrott—whose kitten racket was exposed by BBC Watchdog in 2018—was caught buying kittens off online ads and flogging them on Gumtree for cold, hard cash. The 1 launched an investigation after receiving 46 complaints from the public about her cruel practices.
Prospective buyers reported kittens being sold far too young to be away from their mothers. Many of the poor animals were gravely ill.
RSPCA Raid Uncovers Horrific Conditions
On April 27, 2019, inspectors arrived at Listos’s address on Lillington Road, Wood End. Inside a barely furnished living room, they found 18 kittens — believed to belong to three different litters — living in shocking conditions. One kitten was so weak it barely moved.
The kittens were rushed to a local vet. Tragically, the smallest kitten died overnight. Most were just four or five weeks old—way too young to be separated from their mum.
Tragic Toll and Aftermath
- Twelve of the kittens caught deadly feline parvovirus and died despite treatment.
- The remaining six were rehabilitated and rehomed by the RSPCA’s Coventry and District Branch.
Listos pleaded guilty and was hit with over £10,000 in costs and fines. Aside from her illegal pet sales, she runs a ragdoll kitten breeding business.
This case serves as a stark warning: animal cruelty will not be tolerated in Coventry or anywhere else.
