A 27-year-old Ohio woman received a one-year jail sentence on Monday for killing and eating a cat in an incident that shocked local authorities and drew national attention, the New York Post reported based on the Massillon Independent. 

Allexis Ferrell appeared before Stark County Common Pleas Judge Frank Forchione, who expressed profound disgust at the defendant's actions.

"To me, you present quite a danger to our community," Forchione told Ferrell during the sentencing. "This is repulsive to me. I mean, that anyone would do this to an animal. And an animal's like a child. I don't know if you understand that or not. I can't express the disappointment, shock, disgust that this crime has brought to me."

The disturbing incident occurred at 5:54 p.m. on Aug. 16, when Canton police responded to a 911 call. Body camera footage showed Ferrell on all fours consuming the cat outdoors as neighbors watched in horror. Officers can be heard in the footage questioning her actions, with one asking, "What did you do? Why did you kill the cat?"

Stark County prosecutor Chelsea Small told the New York Post that this case stood out in her career. "It's one of the most disturbing cases that I've seen as a prosecutor," Small said.

The defendant pleaded guilty to a felony charge of animal cruelty. The New York Post reports that the one-year sentence for the cat incident will be served consecutively with an 18-month sentence from two previous convictions – a 2019 theft case and a child endangerment case from last year.

The case gained national attention in September, amid unsubstantiated claims by President-elect Donald Trump regarding pet consumption in Springfield. Officials clarified to the New York Post that Ferrell's case was unrelated to those claims.

Defense attorney Stephen Kandel, speaking to the Massillon Independent, addressed his client's underlying issues, stating, "it's clear that [Ferrell] has an issue with drugs and alcohol, through her evaluation, through her past history." He indicated that arrangements had been made for inpatient treatment following her release.

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Right-wing Knesset members expressed outrage Tuesday after the government allocated 12 million shekels ($3.8 million) to tackle Israel's stray cat problem.

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"There is not enough funds for soldiers, for families in need, but there is one for cats," a bewildered Noam MK Avi Maoz said. "Shame on the government, Israelis deserve better, they deserve a different government."

The new funding was announced at the request of Yesh Atid. On top of that, the party managed to secure funding totaling NIS 41 million ($13 million) to fund early childhood programs, youth athletic projects, and the government's Child Online Protection Bureau as well.

The funds were approved as part of the coalition agreements that made the current government possible and are subject to approval by the Knesset as part of the overall state budget.

Altogether the Finance Committee has allocated NIS 736 million ($230 million) in coalition funds for education, anti-drug programs, culture, special needs, tourism, Torah-study and more.

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Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport might be closed to all flights with the exception of humanitarian emergencies, but cats are not noted for their strict adherence to human rules. On Sunday, airport workers were surprised to note a cat sunning itself in the cockpit of an El Al 737.

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Immediately after the feline visitor was snapped on the control console, airport workers called in help to have it removed. El Al personnel who entered the grounded plane realized that the cat had caused considerable damage to the aircraft, having clawed and broken some of the furnishings and plastic surfaces in the cockpit.

The last time this aircraft flew was on Jan. 24, when it landed in Israel from Dubai. A day later, Israel shut down air traffic, and most El Al planes, as well as planes belonging to other airlines, have been grounded.

By the time the workers were on board, the cat had left the cockpit. Eventually, they found the animal, which appeared to be healthy, and delivered it to animal care services.

It is unclear how the cat found its way on board, although there is a possibility that it jumped onto the plane during maintenance work.

This was not the first time that a cat has been found on an El Al plane without a ticket. Approximately three months ago, a cat was found on an El Al aircraft in Hong Kong, leading the plane to be grounded for two entire days until it could be found, as the law does not allow aircraft to take off with animals roaming freely on board.

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