Wellington, Aug 25 NZPA - A Wellington couple have been banned from owning a pet for life after their cat was found emaciated, covered in faeces, with maggots growing in its flesh.

Floyd and Antoinette McGovern were described by their lawyer In Wellington District Court today as "two very unsophisticated people" who were under such stress they failed to take care of the animal.

The SPCA was called last November after the cat -- an elderly tabby -- was spotted in Seatoun.

At first inspection SPCA staff noticed the cat's rear end was soaked with faeces, fly blown, with maggots visible and it appeared thin and unable to move easily.

It was taken to a vet who found a large wound on a hind leg which was infested with maggots and further "severe maggot activity" around the anus.

The cat weighed just 3.4 kilograms -- a third less than the minimum expected -- and may have been suffering an underlying illness such as cancer which, the SPCA said, could have been behind its reluctance to clean itself.

The vet said the cat would have been suffering an unnecessary amount of pain and distress and any further treatment would have only prolonged its suffering.

It was quickly put down.

A post mortem was performed, the findings of which were included in court documents:

"It showed that the maggots had penetrated deep into the muscle layers of the right hip and thigh. Parts of the muscle were dead, eroded away and replaced with newborn maggots."

When approached by the SPCA the McGoverns said it was their cat but they had been too busy with their business and trying to sell their house to take care of it.

Mrs McGovern said she did not have it put down because she was Filipino and believed it would give her seven years bad luck.

Her excuse did not carry much weight with Judge John Walker.

"I would think no culture would condone placing an animal in this degree of suffering," he said.

Judge Walker said claims made through their lawyer that the cat had appeared playful and purring only elevated their offending in his eyes, highlighting their ignorance and inability to care for an animal.

He said neither of them was fit to care for a pet and issued lifetime bans against both.

They were each given 150 hours community service, ordered to pay a total of $451 to cover the SPCA's vet bill and $250 for lawyer's fees.