Woman who spent £50,000 on cats cleared of benefit fraud District Judge Joti Boparai said: "I do find the defendant credible and do accept that in her mind what she did was not dishonest and that is the reason she didn't declare the money." Mrs Howes, of Whitecroft, Glos, received the £50,000 after she sold her late mother's house in 2005. She brought the animals to live with her own 25 Persian cats, and opened a "cats" account" to hold the £50,000. She said it "never occurred to her" to notify the Department for Work and Pensions or the council. In statements read to the court, friends and relations of Mrs Howes said it had been a long-standing agreement that she would take care of the cats. In a previous hearing Mrs Howes said: "The cats had always had the best of everything and my mother wanted that to continue after her death. She always paid for the best. She would go daily to the supermarket or butcher and get them fresh food. Mrs Howes denied four charges of making false statements or concealing her true financial capital to obtain £22,000 in benefits from 2005 to October last year. Judge Boparai said it was clear from Mrs Howes's bank accounts that all the money had gone on the cats. She said: "It is quite clear the cats are taking a lot of money and they will continue to do so and soon this money will run out. All the statements from friends and family show that the mother's main concern was the care of her cats. Obviously they were precious to her and she was obviously very fond of them and her main concern was that after her demise they would be looked after properly.