A man kept more than 30 animals in filthy conditions in his one-bedroom flat.
Maqsood Asghar, 40, failed to provide the pets including rats, doves, rabbits, guinea pigs and gerbils with adequate food and water.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard inspectors from the Scottish SPCA were called to Asghar's flat on June 15 last year by police officers. When they got there they were met by two large dogs and a very strong smell of urine and faeces.
Asghar told them there were other animals in the flat.
The inspectors then found four rabbits and four guinea pigs in a cage suitable for holding one hamster, two terrapins, ten rats in one cage, quail, doves, Dumbo rats, gerbils, chinchillas, a mouse and a cat.
The animals were in cages piled up on top of each other with limited access to food and water.
When he appeared at the court on Wednesday Asghar, of Kirk Street, Edinburgh, was placed on a Community Payback Order for 12 months and ordered to perform 180 hours of unpaid work. He was also banned from owning, keeping or having charge of animals for life.
He had previously pled guilty to a breach of the Animal Health and Welfare Act and sentence had been deferred for background reports.
Defence solicitor, Nigel Bruce, told Sheriff Neil Mackinnon that Asghar had transferred ownership of the animals to the Scottish SPCA. His client, he said, had a compulsive disorder for collecting things.
As well as the life ban, Sheriff Mackinnon told Asghar that no application for a variation or termination of the order could be made for eight years.
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