OLYMPIA, Wash. -- One animal control officer calls it the worst case of animal cruelty she has ever seen.

Judith Ann Lawson was jailed for investigation of 20 counts of felony animal cruelty after animal control officers found 20 Persian cats locked up in cages inside the garage of her home.

The animals were found living in filth. Feces covered their bodies. In some cases, the weight of the hardened waste pieces had caused their heavily-matted fur to tear right off of their bodies.

One of the cats was found covered with open and infected sores. The cat also had a broken tail and severe respiratory problems that affected its breathing.

Erika Ellenbecker with animal control says this is animal cruelty at its worst.

"When I asked her how long the cats have been in the room, she said about six years," she said. "This is the worst I've seen."

Lawson's neighbors said they never suspected any of it was going on. Neighbors said Lawson moved into the quiet neighborhood seven years ago and has mostly kept to her self.

"She was very private," said Sandy McCaig.

According to prosecutors, Lawson, a 64-year-old former cat breeder, kept the blinds to her house closed and the garage door sealed. Such measures kept the strong smell of cat urine from escaping from the garage and alerting the others living nearby.

On Wednesday, a contractor working inside the home discovered the cats stuffed into crates stacked inside the unventilated garage. He took photos of his findings and called police, prosecutors said.

The crates were being taken away for evidence and the cats were taken to an animal hospital.

Veterinarians do not yet know how many of the animals will be able to recover.