40 dead cats found frozen in Queens storage unit

The winner of an auctioned storage unit in Queens bought into an unpleasant discovery: dozens of cat carcasses.

About 40 dead cats were found in two freezers in the unit, authorities said. Police told CBS New York that the number of dead cats could increase because some felines were stuck together.

Some carcasses were wrapped in paper and plasticbags. Others were stacked on top of each other.One skinned cat was found in an aluminum catering tray.

The ASPCA took custody of the cats, but is waiting for the bodies to thaw before performing tests todetermine how the felines died, according to theNew York Daily News.

The man who won the auction paid $150 for the storage locker at American Self Storage in Long Island City. He called police after opening the freezers.

The unit had a “horrendous death smell, rotting” once the freezers were opened, a police source told theDaily News. The source said officers had to change their clothing and shower because “the stench was stuck to their clothes.”

Other items, including papers, clothing and sewing machines were also found in the unit.

A 66-year-old Brooklyn woman had been renting the unit since 2014, ABC7reported, but she stopped paying in July, so the unit went up for auction.

Authorities said they will wait until necropsies are completed to determine if they will press charges against the woman.