A Chicago couple is suing their downstairs neighbor over the woman's 20 smelly cats. Johanna Torres and her husband, Matthew Greenberg claim that they can't breathe -- much less sell their condo -- because Rossana Ioppolo keeps 20 cats in the one-bedroom unit below theirs.

Another side effect they're experiencing on account of the cat stench? The couple's doctor told them they should not try to get pregnant.

How Many Cats Are Too Many? | Webvet

Despite the severity of the situation, legal action wasn't their immediate response to the problem. Torres and Greenberg have complained to the condo board for a year, papered up their vents and refused to turn on their air conditioner for the past two years. They've also spent thousands of dollars to clean and replace their belongings which had become infected with the odor.

Their attorney Michael J. Zink, told the Sun Times of the odor, “It’s something else. Especially when the air conditioning’s not on. You can smell the litter, you can smell the cats.”

The lawsuit seeks to prevent the woman from having any cats in her unit. They also want to make her pay to replace the ductwork between their two condos -- and be reimbursed for what they spent managing the odors.

Ioppolo lists herself as a pet sitter on her LinkedIn account.

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