A man in Nova Scotia did the right thing by calling the SPCA when he realized he was no longer able to care for his pets.

But he did the WRONG thing when he let it get this bad.

The man called for help after he found himself with 66 cats in his care.

"The owner became overwhelmed and unable to care for the cats so he called us," Jo Anne Landsburg, the SPCA's chief provincial inspector, said.

Landsburg says the man obviously loved cats and took a few in. He didn't have them spayed and neutered, however. So 2 cats became 66 pretty quickly.

The cats were all infected with lice, underfed, and required extensive dental work. Now, the SPCA is facing a $26,000 bill for the medical procedures alone, not including the cost of housing and feeding the cats.

However, despite the dire conditions, Landsburg says the man will not be charged with any criminal acts.

"This was not presented to us as a cruelty case," she said. "He wanted to do right by the cats and realized he was in over his head. There was no intent to do harm."

The cats are all being groomed for adoption so they can find their forever homes.

The SPCA is reminding people that if you have two cats of different genders, it's important to make sure they are fixed unless you are ready to properly care for any other cats they produce.