Landlords Speak Out About Woman With Alleged Cat Morgue

BOSTON -- There's new information Tuesday about a cat breeder whose rented apartment looked like a gruesome makeshift cat morgue, according to authorities .

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Dead Cats Found In Woman's Apartment

Boston city inspectors found more than 60 dead cats in Heidi Erickson's apartment on Beacon Hill Monday. The Charles Street apartment was immediately condemned.

NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd spoke to one of Erickson's previous landlord's about his similar experience, and among the latest developments, Boston Inspectional Services said that Erickson is demanding she get her cats back.

Meanwhile NewsCenter 5 has received several calls and e-mails from people who have had dealings with Erickson.

Scott Fontana, a Boston hairdresser, said that he found Erickson through a Web site which describes her as a breeder of prize Persian cats.

Fontana said that he bought a cat from her, and he says the animal had problems from the beginning.

"He was sick the whole time. We got him, we took him to the vet. He came with ringworm. He also had the herpes virus," Fontana said.

Fontana said the cat died soon after he purchased it. He said he bought the cat from Erickson without ever seeing her place of business.

"She doesn't let people come to her place of business and see the kittens there," Fontana said.

Officials said that Erickson's apartment was a bed of filth and uninhabitable. They ordered it condemned. It is apparently not the first time Erickson has allowed an apartment to become unlivable.

Cambridge, Mass., landlord Frank Nahigian said that he rented an apartment on Fayette Street to Erickson before she moved to Beacon Hill.

"The smell was horrendous. The place was filthy. Her dog would defecate in the hallway," he said.

Nahigian said that when Erickson left in Octber last year, he had no choice but to gut the unit and begin a complete renovation -- a renovation which still is not complete.

Erickson's current landlord, Gordon LeBlanc, faces a similar situation with his apartment on Beacon Hill.

He said that the initial cost of cleanup was $5,000 but said that he has yet to begin making the apartment rentable again.

Both LeBlanc and Erickson are ordered to appear in court Thursday to answer charges of health and sanitary codes and running a business in a residence.

LeBlanc said that he had no idea what Erickson was doing in the apartment, and Erickson has not responded to our phone calls.